The cast talks to ET about Henry Cavill's final turn as Geralt in season 3 before Liam Hemsworth takes over the role.
It's the end of an era for Netflix's The Witcher. While the fantasy adaptation has already been renewed for a fourth season, the series will go on without its leading man, Henry Cavill, as the titular witcher, Geralt of Rivia.
The actor takes his final bow as the silver-haired warrior in season 3, with the eight-part season debuting in two volumes. The first, which will include episodes 1 through 5, will be released on June 29, while the second batch, with the final three episodes, will debut on Netflix on July 27.
Cavill will then hand over the reins to Liam Hemsworth for season 4.
"My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4. In my stead, the fantastic Mr Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf," Cavill wrote on Instagram when the news of his departure was broken. "As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam's take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men."
Cavill concluded his post with some advice to Hemsworth, telling The Hunger Games star to enjoy his time diving into both the nuanced character of Geralt and the wonderful world of The Witcher.
"Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find," he added.
Fans were unsurprisingly shocked by the news, as Cavill's portrayal has been a highlight of the show based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s best-selling book series.
Cavill's castmates also feel the bittersweetness of his departure, sharing their favorite moments filming his final season while speaking with ET's Ash Crossan ahead of the third installment's premiere.
"It's been an incredible honor to work with Henry, he brings so much every single day," Joey Batey, who plays Geralt's friend and bard, Jaskier, says. "So much commitment, so much grit to the role and working day in and day out with him, and seeing how much he puts into this character, it's really quite inspirational. I'm gonna miss him. I'm gonna miss him a lot."
Anya Chalotra (Yennefer) and Freya Allan (Ciri) echo the actor's sentiments, noting that season 3 is a perfect chapter for fans to see Cavill's final run as Geralt.
"I'm excited for them to see the family come together -- all of us together hasn't happened. I think that'll be nice for them to see," Allan notes, referring to the show's main trio whose tumultuous relationship serves as much of the story's tension.
Season 3 follows Geralt as he traverses the Continent alongside his trusty bard and his on-again-off-again lover as monarchs, mages, and beasts of the Continent compete to capture Ciri. Despite their troubles, Geralt entrusts Yennefer to lead the foursome to the protected fortress of Aretuza, where they hope to uncover more about Ciri’s untapped powers; instead, they discover they’ve landed on a battlefield of political corruption, dark magic, and treachery. They must fight back, put everything on the line -- or risk losing each other forever.
"I think it'll be really nice for fans to see Geralt and Yennefer working together a bit more," Chalotra adds, although she also teases that Volume 2 of the season is "very dark" so the good times will not last long for the makeshift family.
Batey calls the season's second half "f**ked up," which is a description that Therica Wilson (Sabrina) wholeheartedly agrees with.
"[It's] chaos, total destruction and chaos," she says. "It really changes the constant forever this season. I think season 1 and season 2 were unbelievably brilliant and I think this season is the best we've had. The stakes are so high and you really see the fallout of that at the end of season 3."
However dark it may get, MyAnna Buring (Tissaia) says there's beauty in the season's story and it being the end of Cavill's journey with the production.
"Three is a kind of magic number, isn't it? He's been able to bring his version of Geralt to the world, and it's been loved and appreciated," she shares, adding that the actor's dedication and love for the character has "really helped set the Witcher series on the map."
Buring says that she believes Cavill's exit is part of "what all great actors do with great fantasy characters, they hand them back onto the next actor to take it on."
"I think it'll be really moving to see [and] I think fans watching this, being aware that he's moving on and he'll become something different and exciting next season will be really moved throughout the series to watch him," she adds. "The [episodes] all have a little special edge to [them], we think it's a celebration of him and his work, and we're really excited for you all to see."
Wilson chimes in, adding, "He's a phenomenal actor and he's such a gentleman on and off set. It was always a dream of mine to be able to work with him, so just being able to be on screen with him is like a dream come true."
Cassie Clare (Philippa Eilhart), recalls a "great day" with Cavill, reflecting on the actor's ability to be a leading man on and off set. "[He's] very welcoming [and] cares a lot about the people he's working with," she shares. "All of us [are] working towards one goal but the reason I loved working with him so much is cause I love to sit down and get to talk about character and our intentions. And, if you take [the scene between our characters] for what it is, you might not receive the meanings that we were talking about. That is [the] kind of the things that are said between the lines with looks and it was really interesting to play that scene knowing that we had agreed on what's bubbling under the surface. I thought that was lovely."
Hugh Skinner (Prince Radovid), recalls being surprised by how funny Cavill is in real life, sharing how much the actor made him laugh behind the scenes. "It's probably very shallow of me, but I like to be around people making me laugh, who are funny or have a sense of humor [about] what they're doing, and Henry very much is of that type, you know? Not someone who's taking himself too seriously," he says.
Obviously, Cavill's presence will be missed when Volume 2 of season 3 drops next year. But there’s still a long way to go before Hemsworth picks up the sword and travels the Continent as Geralt.
The cast reveals that they have already been connecting with their new co-star, sharing that although they haven't met Hemsworth in person, they have been speaking virtually.
"We've exchanged emails and swapped quotes from the books and things like that," Batey explains. "We've nerded out with him a little. Who knows [how] it's gonna be, but I think we're all as excited as everyone else."
For his part, Hemsworth has gushed over the acclaimed fantasy series, telling fans that he's "over the moon" about having the opportunity to take over Cavill's leading role.
"As a Witcher fan I’m over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia. Henry Cavill has been an incredible Geralt, and I’m honored that he’s handing me the reins and allowing me to take up the White Wolf’s blades for the next chapter of his adventure," Hemsworth, captioned an Instagram post before sharing his admiration for the actor, who will go on to star and produce a Warhammer 40,000 adaptation series with Amazon.
"Henry, I’ve been a fan of yours for years and was inspired by what you brought to this beloved character," he continued. "I may have some big boots to fill, but I’m truly excited to be stepping into The Witcher world."
Volume 1 of The Witcher season 3, with episodes 1 through 5, will premiere on June 29, while the second batch, with the final three episodes, will debut on Netflix on July 27.
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