Netflix confirm Henry Cavill will not return to The Witcher after Superman exit

16 December 2022, 14:13

Henry Cavill announces his return as Superman

By Katie Louise Smith

The Witcher season 4 will be moving ahead with Liam Hemsworth despite overwhelming demand and pleas from fans.

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Amid the news that Henry Cavill will no longer be returning to the DC Extended Universe as Superman, Netflix have now confirmed that he will also not be returning to his role as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher.

Back in October, Henry announced his return as Superman following his surprise appearance in the post-credit scene of Black Adam. A few days later, the actor then stepped down from The Witcher and Netflix announced that Liam Hemsworth would be taking over the role.

Fans were absolutely devastated to lose Henry as Geralt, presuming he had to leave the show due to his upcoming Superman schedule. They've also been incredibly vocal about wanting him back. Now that he's no longer playing Superman, The Witcher fans were hoping that it could now pave the way for his return.

Is Henry Cavill coming back to The Witcher?

Netflix confirms Henry Cavill will not return to The Witcher after Superman exit. Picture: Frazer Harrison/WireImage, Netflix

However, it's now been confirmed that Netflix will indeed be moving forward with The Witcher and Liam Hemsworth. Henry will not be returning to the role despite overwhelming pleas from fans that include a petition signed by almost 3000,000 people.

Variety has now confirmed that production on the upcoming season 4 will continue on as planned, with Liam taking on Geralt of Rivia.

In October, Netflix’s head of U.S. and Canada scripted series Peter Friedlander assured fans that Liam was the right choice to take over from Henry in an interview with Variety.

"Henry is an extraordinary Geralt and I think Liam will continue and also be an extraordinary Geralt," he said. "There has been a legacy of amazing, iconic characters where the actors have changed and we’re hugely optimistic about this. We will continue to honor the IP, the fans, the storytelling, all the way through."

Liam Hemsworth will play Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher season 4. Picture: Getty

Why did Henry Cavill leave The Witcher?

We know that Henry was dropped as Superman because new DC bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran want to focus on a new Superman story that will follow a younger version of the character. However, no official explanation has been shared by Netflix or Henry about the reason for his departure from The Witcher.

There's been plenty of speculation, though. Henry previously told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021 that he was "absolutely" committed to the show, adding: "As long as we can keep telling great stories which honour Sapkowski’s work."

Fans have speculated that Henry may have stepped down because he felt the writing on the show was not staying true to the source material.

It's also unclear if his (now-cancelled) return as Superman in the DCEU also factored into his decision to step away from the role.