MOVIE NEWS – The actress behind Yennefer in Netflix’s The Witcher says she never, not for a second, believed the series would be axed after Henry Cavill left – even if some fans argue the Rotten Tomatoes scores already read like a final verdict.
Henry Cavill stepping away from Geralt in Netflix’s live-action The Witcher hit hard for the actor’s admirers and for many – though not all – readers of Andrzej Sapkowski’s saga. Liam Hemsworth was named immediately to ensure continuity, but after the season-three numbers, the obvious question lingered: did the cast worry about an early cancellation? According to Anya Chalotra, absolutely not.
As The Guardian put it bluntly: “When Cavill left, did you think this might be the end? Another half-finished fantasy headed for the scrapyard?” The Yennefer star replied: “No, not really. I think I always knew we’d continue. With the love for the material, we knew it would go on. I was excited to see where Yennefer would head next, that’s for sure.” Given that The Witcher has been one of Netflix’s biggest recent bets, it tracks that the British actress had faith in its future.
It’s also worth recalling how the people steering the show quickly addressed fan worries, noting that Geralt of Rivia – like James Bond or Batman – is a mantle multiple actors can carry. Granted, recasting mid-run in a Batman adaptation is unusual (technically, Batman Forever with Val Kilmer brushed up against the Burtonverse that began with Michael Keaton – but let’s stay with Geralt today).
“He understands people. He understands this world.”
So what was Chalotra’s first read on Hemsworth? No hazing, no ribbing the new guy: “We didn’t want to be too intense,” she laughs. “We just wanted to make space for Liam. He understands people. He understands this world. He came in so naturally. It was really easy.” Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and Freya Allan (Ciri) voiced similar thoughts at the time – the Australian seems to have won everyone over.
Audiences may warm to him, too – even if he’s not Henry Cavill. His take is different, for better or worse, and that jolt lands harder when you’re already in season four of a planned five-part arc. Whatever the reasons behind the former Superman’s exit, it reads like a setback for Netflix, and a slice of the fandom is making that clear with ratings – sometimes outright review-bombing – on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb. In a few days we’ll see where the viewership lands.
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