Netflix’s The Witcher has often been discussed how closely it sticks to the original lore. While the show has covered many aspects, there are still a lot of important tales and character arcs that have not been explored much at all. For example, we still do not know much about the full richness of Ofieri culture, or the detailed stories of the lesser-known Witcher schools. One of these unexplored facets is about to come to life in The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep. And there is actually a good reason why they decided to wait so long before tackling it.

The Witcher creators recently shared why they chose not to include this particular storyline in the live-action version starring Henry Cavill.

The story in question is A Little Sacrifice, written by Andrzej Sapkowski as the fourth tale in his Sword of Destiny collection. It tells the emotional story of star-crossed lovers from different species—a mermaid named Sh’eenaz and a human duke named Agloval. In a recent interview with SFX magazine, showrunner Lauren Hissrich and The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep co-writer Rae Benjamin explained why this particular story was not explored in the live-action series starring Henry Cavill. Hissrich simply stated, "We didn’t want to cheap out".

Rae Benjamin further elaborated that because Sirens of the Deep is an animated series, the team could make the merpeople feel truly different. They wanted to go beyond the usual depiction of human-like characters with tails, pushing the creative boundaries of what fans have come to expect from The Witcher universe. This animated medium gave them the freedom to reimagine merpeople in ways that would not have been possible in live action. But, this addition has now raised the stakes for the upcoming fourth season of the live-action series.

Amidst ‘The Witcher’ Season 4 Wait, Mimî M. Khayisa Reveals Exciting Updates for the Future With Liam Hemsworth

Exploring these rarely touched plots could set a very high bar for The Witcher 4, especially with the skepticism surrounding the new Geralt. 

The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep is scheduled to premiere on February 11. Although the release date for season 4 of the live-action series has not been announced yet, it is expected to debut later this year as well. This creates a possibility that fans will end up comparing the two projects, especially since many already feel that The Witcher franchise works better in animation. Season 4 is already a pivotal moment for the series, given all the big changes, and Sirens of the Deep could make those challenges even more noticeable.

Adding to the pressure is the fact that Doug Cockle, the original voice of Geralt from the video games, will return for Sirens of the Deep. His involvement could make it even tougher for viewers to warm up to Liam Hemsworth’s version of Geralt. Although Cockle has shared some helpful advice for Hemsworth, the timing of this animated project means that viewers will have another version of Geralt to compare to Hemsworth's portrayal. For fans who already have reservations about this casting change, this could make the transition even harder.

“I’m blushing”- Doug Cockle Turns Red as ‘The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep’ Director Showers Praise on The Geralt Actor

What do you think about The Witcher makers' decision? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!