The Witcherverse is always brewing the cocktails of controversy amidst its busy schedule of monster-hunting storyline. After the fantasy realm genesis escaped the pages of the books to reach the screens of millennials, the anticipation grew manifold but not without the air of backlash. Initially, the Polish author, Andrzej Sapkowski, had shown substantial enthusiasm regarding the live-action adaptation, as did the former protagonist, Henry Cavill.

Eventually, not only the creator and lead showcased concern over citing originality, but even the former writers of The Witcher series admitted to these shortcomings. Evaluating the chronology of difference, here are three reasons that could answer the ‘why’ of Henry Cavill’s exit.

Writer’s critique of The Witcher books

The creation of the Polish maestro had an active fan following from before the Netflix show’s inception. But with the show’s incoming also came the row of expectations to outshine the reader’s vision into a visual aesthetic. However, the possibility for the same resounded bleak when the flow of the storyline journeyed backward from the source material.

Beau DeMayo, previously a pivotal writer for the show, admitted how the writers “actively mocked” the source material in the writer’s room. But even to DeMayo, the retention of the source was absolute before adding to “its legacy”. Noting that the showrunner, Lauren Hissrich, had earlier confessed to intentionally sidelining the people who were well-versed with the books, DeMayo’s “golden rule” failed to attain a place for itself.

Now one cannot really help but ponder if that was also one of the reasons that led to Cavill’s exit from the Netflix original. Perhaps, even the unrivaled swordsman had gotten tired of the fighting. 

Henry Cavill’s departure from The Witcher

When The Witcher was received by the screens, Henry Cavill had made his name as the Geralt of Rivia. So much so that the name became synonymous with his. With his impressive swordsmanship and rapid-paced action sequence, Cavill proved to win many hearts with his dedication. As Cavill himself is a staunch nerd of the novel collection, Hissrich’s plan to keep away the purists of the source remained a failure in the case of the lead. 

Then again, like all good things, his depiction reached the final page with the show’s third installment. Although the reason for his exit never really cleared the fog, a leaked script from a celebrity podcast DeuxMoi surfacing on Reddit reported how Cavill took the saddle of making creative alterations to the script. Even the rumor mill had stirred formidable justification as, back in 2021, he had pushed for book-accurate storytelling.

The former Geralt’s advocacy for the source material suffered a face loss when the writers fervently disregarded the same by sailing the ship in the opposite direction. The live-action adaptation not only changed much of the plot but even teased the character developments and their history. The outcome was flat characterization, poor dialogue scores, and the fallacy of legendary scripts.

As a matter of fact, this divergence not only could have been the reason for Cavill’s hanging up the sword but also a reason for Sapkowski’s lamentations.

Andrzej Sapkowski’s bemoaning of The Witcher series

The prospect of Netflix’s adaptation of The Witcher saw the rise of substantive eagerness not only from its dedicated fandom but also from its creator, Andrzej Sapkowski, and the former protagonist, Henry Cavill. The novelist had also expressed his desire to “surpass” the excellence of the Game of Thrones adaptation. But with the unfolding of new chapters, the thrill died down due to the impending autonomy of the show’s creators and writers.

While Sapkowski often maintained neutrality regarding this subject, he finally let out his lamentation during the Vienna Comic Con event. When the author was interrogated about his visit to The Witcher’s set, the interviewee also enquired if he had pitched some ideas for the on-screen portrayal. But his reply was rather upsetting when he said, “They never listen.”. But then he also alluded that it was perhaps the “normal” norm for them as “it’s the writer. It’s nobody.”.

Furthermore, Sapkowski also revealed that his preference for the voice of Geralt was Henry Cavill. For him, the idea of Geralt was in tandem with Cavill. But then again, given that the creators remain steadfast on diversion from the source material, the mutual advocacy between Sapkowski and Cavill would hold no weight. Instead, it makes one wonder if one of the reasons for Cavill’s exit was also Sapkowski’s silent support for the same.

What do you think led to Henry Cavill’s exit from The Witcher? Let us know in the comments below!