The Witcher Netflix Series Producer Says Fans Will “Love” Henry Cavill As Geralt Of Rivia
Netflix’s adaptation of The Witcher has encountered a fair amount of controversy. Fans roared about show runner Lauren Hissrich’s idea to cast a minority actress as Ciri. They complained over the casting of Yennefer and Triss. While most people approved of Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, even that casting failed to garner unanimous support. Some fans failed to see Henry Cavill as an adequate Geralt based on his age and his performances as Superman. One of the show’s producers reassured fans that Cavill was absolutely the right choice for the role.
In an interview with Polish outlet Onet Film, producer Tomasz Baginski provided some minor insight on the show’s casting. He told fans that Cavill remains the perfect actor to play the legendary Witcher in the series. He declined to say whether Cavill was his first choice, but said he is more than content with the pick.
“Even if I did, I can’t say that, mind you,” he answered. “But I’m, of course, satisfied. The audience will love him.”
Baginski held back again when asked for specific reasons, but he did allude to the actor’s physical presence. “You will see on the screen…Henry Cavill is a big, strong guy. I will not mess with him.”
Baginski went on to address some of the show’s criticisms, particularly regarding the casting choices. In short, he understands that it’s simply a part of the business.
“People have a right to judge. We get money also because we’re exposed to such critique. If someone feels better because they declared on the Internet that they don’t like some casting choice, it paradoxically means that we’re doing our job well. We are supposed to provide entertainment to people, so if for someone such entertainment is slipping out their tongue on the Internet, then cool.”
The producer also talked about the potential casting of minority actresses to play Ciri and Yennefer. He lamented that much of the controversy came from his homeland and called the sentiments “embarrassing.”
“Fans aren’t a some homogenous group. Such statements are embarrassing for me, especially given that a big part of the noise came from Poland. But I don’t feel resentment towards the fans, I understand where it’s coming from. People care a lot about this project, they want it to conquer the world. Sometimes they’re too sharp in this will. And, to add to that, everyone has their own vision of The Witcher. I can only repeat that all the casting choices in the series are deliberate. There are no accidental actors.”
It appears that the producer’s assessment of the series is correct. Netflix is reportedly already planning on producing multiple seasons of the potential hit show based on what they’ve seen so far. Fans can expect The Witcher to debut sometime this year on Netflix. Fans can pick up the spinoff game Thronebreaker or the comic series The Witcher: Of Flesh and Flame while they wait. Additionally, a listing indicates that they may see The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on the Nintendo Switch in the near future as well.
What do you think about Cavill’s casting in the role of Geralt of Rivia? Are you optimistic for the show’s success? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and follow DFTG on Facebook and Twitter for more gaming news!
Drew Weissman230 Posts
Drew is a freelance writer for DFTG. He's the former Managing Editor of Haogamers and has been published in the Chicago Tribune and The Paragon Journal. He also edited the novel Three Brightnesses and Artist Journey: Rachta Lin (2016 and 2017 editions).