The heated clashes and disputes are not just restricted to The Witcher franchise. It reaches into its fandom as well. With one of the most divisive fandoms, The Witcher franchise found itself in hot water as Lauren Hissrich’s show came into play. The Netflix original has been repeatedly criticized for its lack of adherence to the source material and revamping of the storylines. However, there was one scene in particular that unified fans from every corner of the franchise, from the books to the gaming series- the bathtub scene.

Henry Cavill‘s bathtub scene in the Netflix show became a highlight of the first season. But what made Lauren Hissrich make this decision to reach out to the wider Witcher fanbase?

Lauren Hissrich had a strategic reason to incorporate the bathtub scene

The scene of Henry Cavill flaunting his buffed physique in the bathtub drew its inspiration from CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Despite not being directly based on the gaming series, Hissrich understood the game’s popularity among fans, particularly among American audiences. In an interview with Collider in 2019 following the first season’s release, Hissrich shared that the iconic bathtub scene was a “little wink and a nod” to the American audience and reassuring that the show also caters to them.

Hissrich also shared that most of the American fanbase of The Witcher “did not even know the books existed“. This scene also served as a strategic maneuver by the showrunner to appeal to a broader audience for her show, while also enticing Henry Cavill’s fanbase with ‘thirst traps.’ Ultimately, it brought together four fandoms of The Witcher– the books, the video game, the Netflix original along with Cavill’s followers. However, fans were disappointed when they came to know that the second season would not see Cavill in the tub.

Ever since word spread about the second installment of The Witcher, fans began voicing their expectations to see Cavill indulging in more bathing action. While this did not materialize on screen, Netflix later used it as the biggest marketing breadcrumb for the third season.

How Netflix leveraged the hype around the bathing scene to promote season 3 

Ahead of the release of The Witcher’s third season, Netflix pulled off one of its best marketing stunts. The streaming giant shared an enticing spoiler on X, formerly Twitter, revealing that the third season will include the scene fans had been asking for since season 2. The post teased, “SPOILER ALERT: THIS SEASON, GERALT IS BACK IN THE TUB,” hinting at the steamy bathtub scenes from the video games. This was the third bathtub moment in the Netflix show. But, it came with a fun Yennefer twist.

In The Witcher season 1, Geralt had two bathtub scenes. The first was when Jaskier insisted he clean up after a mission, and the second was when Yennefer helped him with a djinn. This time, Yennefer added some teasing into the bathtub scene by stating that it took “far too long” to get Geralt back in the tub. This joke not only referred to their time apart but also to the viral popularity of Geralt’s bathtub scenes, which were absent in The Witcher season 2.

What do you think about the bathtub scene in The Witcher? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!