This is it. The end of Henry Cavill’s time on The Witcher is looming, and fans aren’t ready to say goodbye.
To be fair, Cavill’s skill in the role makes him all but irreplaceable in the eyes of fans, so we likely never would have been ready, but the decision to recast his part mid-way through the show’s run continues to rankle fans. They’re saying goodbye to his Geralt of Rivia — and those stunning fight sequences — with regret, and pondering just how Netflix plans to make the big switch. The streaming service can’t simply skip over such a vital change-up, but diving too deep into an explanation would be a mistake as well.
We won’t know what direction Netflix will take until the next season arrives, but fans have their theories in the meantime. They’ve also got plenty of alternative fantasy favorites to scratch that swashbuckling itch in the meantime. They might not boast those blood-soaked fight scenes, but fantasy hits from the past are still influencing the genre today.
As are the stars that took on iconic roles. Just as Cavill will likely be remembered as one of the best incarnations of Geralt, we know Andy Serkis will long be celebrated for his iconic portrayal of Lord of the Rings’ Gollum. He wasn’t the first — nor the last — actor to take on the role, but he redefined audience expectations with his stellar performance, just like Cavill.
As the strikes continue to limit releases, enjoy these fantasy favorites
Many of the most anticipated upcoming fantasy projects are likely to hit snags, with both the SAG and WGA strikes occurring concurrently, but there’s still plenty of entertainment to be had for fantasy fans. A slew of spectacular releases are waiting in the wings, and even the most passionate fantasy fan likely has at least one of these lingering on their “to do” list. Now’s the time, folks — que up these broadly influential fantasy favorites and pass the time until our deserving actors and writers get everything they’ve been denied over the years.
Andy Serkis is far from the first actor to take on Lord of the Rings’ Gollum
Andy Serkis presented, over the course of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, the most well-known take on the character of Gollum. The iconic, vital Middle-earth character serves a titular role across J.R.R. Tolken’s stories, and — while Serkis’ take is inarguably the best — he wasn’t the first actor to bring the Stoor Hobbit to life. He was preceded by a number of lesser-known actors, each of whom brought their own flair to the wretched character.
There are a few approaches to Liam Hemsworth’s big Henry Cavill replacement
By now, everyone knows that Henry Cavill’s time as Geralt of Rivia is nearly up. The second half of Netflix’s The Witcher season 3 will be out in a few days, and with it will come the big finale to Cavill’s performance in the role. Fans are starting to truly accept — and think ahead — to Liam Hemsworth’s entrance into the story, and trying to wrap their brains around how, exactly, Netflix plans to pull that off. Two prevailing theories are at war online, as viewers work to suss out how the story will handle the switch up — and if it will make a lick of sense in the long run.