For lovers of fantasy lore, Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s The Witcher came as the perfect example of how accurately an actor can bring a literary character to life. The British actor embodied the gritty determination and sly wit of the iconic monster hunter with perfection. When he abandoned his White Wolf role earlier this year, there was no end to the grief fans of the show and his character felt. After all, he had set the benchmark for Geralt of Rivia rather high. 

His determination to keep the show going was glimpsed during a fiasco that occurred during the filming of its second season. 

Why did Henry Cavill take on fight scenes himself?

After wrapping up the shooting for the second season of The Witcher, Cavill revealed some behind-the-scenes happenings to the Philstar in 2021. Apparently, he had suffered an injury during the shooting that greatly affected his ability to continue doing stunts. However, the 40-year-old felt it was “important” to do as much as he could to stay true to his promise to fans. 

According to him, viewers expected to see the real “Geralt in action” instead of a stunt double filling in. Especially since he had emphasized the importance of doing so just the previous year. So, he only a took “step back” from the more challenging scenes. Yet, he managed to pull off doing the majority of the “risky” fight scenes himself. Even in such tough times, he placed his fans first. 

He knew full well the repercussions his choice could have on his career.

Cavill’s fears of what his injury could mean

When Cavill tore his hamstring while filming season two of The Witcher, the sad event haunted him for a while. Since the injury is one that can easily reoccur if not given rest, he was worried about returning to shooting the show. The long days of being on his feet for hours had to be paused if he wanted to keep performing his stunts in the future. 

Later, the Black Adam actor confessed to feeling relieved that the tear was only partial. If that was not the case, the effects of the tear would have been a lot more severe! Despite such a valid concern, he rose above those fears and got back on his feet. After all, he knew that his fans could always tell the difference between a stunt performed by him and a double. 

Do you think Cavill’s determination to give it his all made him the favorite The Witcher character? Or do you reckon he should have left the stunt work to the professionals? Share your thoughts in the comments.