The Witcher fans may still be reeling from the news that Henry Cavill is leaving, but The Witcher: Blood Origin already suggests where the Netflix franchise can go post-Cavill. In late October 2022, Henry Cavill and Netflix revealed Geralt of Rivia will be portrayed by Liam Hemsworth after The Witcher season 3. Less than two weeks later, Netflix released the second teaser trailer for The Witcher: Blood Origin, a prequel series, and the timing could not be better.
Henry Cavill's The Witcher exit has some obvious downsides, but his absence shouldn’t be considered a hopeless situation. The loss of the series’ biggest star means a cumulative gain for the rest of a fascinating universe bursting with lore. The Witcher: Blood Origin is already establishing a precedent for just how much potential the Continent's characters and stories have outside Geralt, and the prequel also provides very early breathing room for Liam Hemsworth before a season 4 debut that will surely be heavily scrutinized.
Why Blood Origin Is Good News For Hemsworth's Geralt
Although The Witcher: Blood Origin will premiere before The Witcher season 3, the "four-part special event" will still play a critical role in the transition phase between Henry Cavill and Liam Hemsworth. The prequel is a timely opportunity for The Witcher fans to see characters and stories that don't directly involve Geralt of Rivia, and it's even possible The Witcher: Blood Origin reveals The Witcher's multiverse. That's great for Liam Hemsworth because it means he won't have to carry The Witcher's storytelling to the same extent Henry Cavill has done so far.
How Henry Cavill's Departure Could Mean More Witcher Shows
Netflix’s adaption of Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher source material has already produced The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf and The Witcher: Blood Origin; it wasn’t a Henry Cavill monopoly by any means during the Man of Steel actor’s tenure as Geralt. However, his looming departure is additional incentive to continue fleshing out the franchise beyond Geralt’s timeline. Liam Hemsworth might be amazing as Geralt, but Netflix may still see the recast as an opportunity to spread out their algorithm-fueled eggs rather than putting them all into the Independence Day: Resurgence and The Hunger Games actor’s basket.
That was already a possibility after season 1’s success and before season 2 of The Witcher fell into a franchise trap. One of the alleged reasons why Henry Cavill left The Witcher was due to Netflix’s source material shenanigans, and it’s a point of contention for a not-insignificant number of fans as well. The Witcher: Blood Origin could cushion the blow of Cavill’s departure, but only time will tell whether the prequel series is a soothing balm or another catalyst for divisive discourse. Fittingly, the same also holds true for Liam Hemsworth’s performance as The Witcher’s Geralt of Rivia.