As we're sure you're already well aware, Henry Cavill will leave The Witcher, and Geralt of Rivia, behind after the upcoming third season. There's been a lot of chatter surrounding why this may have happened, but Redanian Intelligence has now shared some compelling insights.
According to the site, they first heard rumblings last summer that Netflix might be considering recasting Geralt. The reason given at the time was that Cavill and the show's producers "weren't seeing eye to eye" regarding The Witcher's content and Geralt's role in the show.
They didn't report on this because it seemed too far-fetched, but it's now looking like Cavill might have been unhappy for a while now.
Despite renewing his deal to earn $1 million per episode of The Witcher as opposed to his earlier $400,000, the actor's unhappiness became clear during a press tour for season 2.
He was quoted on multiple occasions explaining how important the series being faithful to Andrzej Sapkowski's books was to him and how that wasn't always easy when the show's creative team had their own ideas about how to adapt them. So, why did he stay? That pay rise was a big help, as you might imagine.
"Then in 2020 and 2021, Cavill was working on Season 2 of The Witcher and was constantly having disagreements with the producers over the work he was doing," the site goes on to explain. "After Season 2 wrapped, he seriously considered leaving The Witcher, but was offered more money and decided to stay for at least one more season."
The site, a reliable source for The Witcher news, noticed that various crew members started following Liam Hemsworth on social media while the series was shooting its third season. That suggests Cavill's departure has been set in stone for some time and that everyone knew the third season would be his last even after he agreed to return.
The Witcher: Blood Origin premieres on December 25, while The Witcher Season 3 will follow shortly after in summer 2023.