Henry Cavill's Superman Exit Has The Witcher Fans Saying The Same Thing
"Witcher" fans were rocked by lead Henry Cavill's series exit earlier in 2022, and many wondered if another opportunity drew the star away from the series. After all, when the series began, Cavill was secured for at least 7 seasons, giving fans some sense of security. However, it seemed that Cavill might have had a more interesting opportunity on the horizon in another famous franchise: Superman. Cavill seemed set to resume the mantle of the Man of Steel full time after appearing in a cameo at the end of another DC film, "Black Adam." Suddenly, his decision to leave "The Witcher" made more sense.
Now, it turns out that Cavill won't be starring in a new "Superman" movie or the latest season of "The Witcher," and his departure from the former has the internet in flames. But how do "The Witcher" fans in particular feel about the entire situation? The blow might've been softened by the prospect of Cavill returning as Superman, but now that he's no longer going to play Superman or Geralt, many "The Witcher" viewers feel like the actor left the fantasy franchise for nothing. While the issue might be more complex than publicly available information suggests, that hasn't stopped fans from essentially saying the same thing.
Cavill fans are devastated
Henry Cavill won't be playing Superman in a new DC movie, but director James Gunn – now one of the minds in charge of the DCEU – confirmed that he would love to see Cavill play another character in the future. Though it seems that Gunn wants to keep Cavill in the DCEU in some form, that's no guarantee, and "The Witcher" fans now feel like they've been cheated out of Cavill playing Geralt in a new season. Fans took to Twitter to process their feelings about the possible mixup.
Many viewers were simply shocked at the news, posting memes to express their surprise. Other "The Witcher" fans suggested that Liam Hemsworth – who was cast to replace Cavill as Geralt – must be fighting to keep the role now that Cavill is seemingly available again. Rodrigo Perez, editor of The Playlist, argued that Cavill should be angry about how the various PR teams involved in his announcements have handled the situation. "This really could damage the dude's career, he just dropped Witcher too. Would he of done that if he knew Superman wasn't coming?" he asked.
Other Twitter users said that they felt bad for Cavill, comparing WB and the DCEU in general with an abusive ex-lover. "He dates WB. Then they ghost him, but he continues to speak kindly about them to everyone. Finally they call & want him back, but he has to leave his other lover (The Witcher). He leaves, and then his ex says, my bad nvm," writer and producer Roxy Striar wrote.
Cavill assured fans on Instagram that, while the news is certainly sad, Superman's essence will never change, and the ideals he stands for will remain, no matter who's playing him.
It's possible Cavill wanted to leave The Witcher anyway
While it may seem that Henry Cavill left "The Witcher" to play Superman once again, the truth might have been more complex. Some fans speculated that Cavill had been unhappy with how "The Witcher" showrunner Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich chose to adapt the source material. "The Witcher" story includes not only the video games in the series, but the novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. Cavill is a fan of the series himself, so much information about Geralt and "The Witcher" universe available, he might have disagreed with the trajectory of the show. It would make sense, considering his castmates described him as a "Witcher Bible," pointing out specific quotes and character traits that would be more true to the series.
One fan of the Netflix series posted an interview clip that was edited to include comments from various news publications indicating Cavill was displeased with how the show adapted the source material. "Y'all gotta stop with all that Henry Cavill should've never left The Witcher for Superman nonsense. Bro BEEN wanted to get outta there," they said. Another viewer responded to this post by saying that Cavill had always implied that he would leave the production if it didn't stick to the lore of the books and games.
One Cavill-admirer simply explained that the actor deserved a break in the form of a "Warhammer" movie. Considering that Cavill can't stop thinking about the game, he'd be the perfect actor to help adapt the property for the big screen. Others hoped that Cavill might choose to jump into the MCU next, playing the Marvel hero Captain Britain – who admittedly has many similarities to the Man of Steel.