While there has been plenty of discontent over the changes to come, namely the transition from Henry Cavill to Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia, experts say that the fourth season might never see the light of day, and that Netflix should cancel The Witcher while they are ahead. Is there any hope for loyal fans?
RELATED: Following News Of Henry Cavill’s Exit, The Witcher Fans Threaten To Boycott
Henry Cavill Leaving The Witcher
At this point, the golden boy of The Witcher leaving after the third season is old news. The internet rioted when Henry Cavill was cut from the cast of the new DC Universe under James Gunn, and possibly had an even bigger reaction when Cavill announced that he was laying down his swords and medallion and passing them over to Liam Hemsworth.
Many fans felt that he was the perfect actor to fill the role because of Cavill’s love for The Witcher, both the books and the video games. For many, he was the only actor they wanted to see in the part.
Cavill’s decision to leave the cast of The Witcher was actually based on his love and respect for Andrzej Sapkowski’s world and lore because he felt that the scriptwriters were getting a little too out of touch with the books, and even the games, which deviated slightly.
RELATED: The Witcher: Why Liam Hemsworth Is A Terrible Choice For Geralt of Rivia
Considering that it is meant to be an adaptation and not an entirely new story, Cavill felt that the deviation was disrespectful towards Sapkowski’s work. When discussed, Netflix supported the writers making the changes, so he did what any gentleman would do and decided to politely remove himself from the situation rather than to associate with something he disagreed with.
Despite him still being a part of the third season, reviews and viewership have dropped as fans boycott the show for Netflix’s decisions, and the deviations from the source material don’t really help.
Will Netflix cancel The Witcher before season 4?
A loss in viewership for season 3 and reviews that are getting worse and worse every season might only be the beginning. Viewers and fans loyal to the books and games and Cavill have already decided that they will be boycotting the fourth season when and if it does eventually air.
RELATED: Mads Mikkelsen Was Born To Play A Witcher
The 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes have posed considerable delays to the last season, to the point where there are rumours that the show will only be released well into 2025 and reports saying that the season won’t even begin production until 2024.
The delays are one thing to consider, but the other is that experts and critics are saying that Netflix should quit while they are ahead. With the delays, loss in viewership, calls to boycott, and Cavill leaving, everyone expects the fourth season to be a disaster of epic proportions.
Suppose Netflix is standing by their writers who are being accused of being lazy, making deviations from the source material that just don’t make sense, introducing modern dialogue into a fantasy period piece and creating overly-confusing plots that viewers and critics felt were unnecessary. In that case, they might need to rethink their standpoint.
RELATED: The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf Review
There are a lot of mixed opinions on this, as some viewers enjoyed how the events of the third season played out. In contrast, others are distraught with the changes and deviations and the loss of Henry Cavill. Only time will tell whether the fourth season airs, whether it will be the final season, or if the series will be cancelled before then.
