The Witcher season 4 has hugely controversial cast changes in store, especially for Geralt and Ciri. This has been causing a lot of disruption in the cult-like fanbase that the series has developed over the years and spells trouble for Netflix.
The Witcher had a solid start with season 1 but plummeted quickly after that. Lately, critical acclaim has been an ordeal, with season 3 performing poorly and The Witcher: Blood Origin spinoff receiving disastrous reviews.
Compounding on the losses, Henry Cavill has confirmed that he will leave the franchise after season 3. This has coerced the makers to push Liam Hemsworth as the new Geralt.
Cavill has perfectly embodied Sapkowski’s white-haired protagonist and has been a significant crowd-puller throughout his stay in the franchise.
Convincing the audience to forget Henry Cavill and replace him with another actor is a monumental challenge for season 4. Rarely can a franchise get away with recasting its main character without facing severe backlash and losing a chunk of its fanbase (imagine casting someone else as Harry Potter halfway through the series!).
However, Cavill’s recasting isn’t the only personnel change in season 4. They have another change of face that could prove just as disruptive.
Ciri will Embrace Her Dark Side in Season 4
Freya Allan’s Ciri has often been a beacon of goodness in The Witcher, where most characters dwell on the morally ambiguous line.
However, The Witcher season 3’s finale reveals Ciri joining a group of bandits called the Rats. The Rats are not entirely evil, but they are not as virtuous as Ciri either. They usually rob the rich but also kill and loot for their own pleasure, as shown in Sapkowski’s original books.
As Ciri learns to embrace her “Falka” identity, a new and darker side of her character will be revealed. The franchise will have to be careful not to repeat the mistake of Game of Thrones, which infamously turned Daenerys Targaryen into a villain without proper justification.
Ciri’s drastic personality change could become a source of criticism for The Witcher season 4 if it is not handled logically or gradually.
Ciri’s Transformation Might Make it Even Harder for Fans to Take Cavill’s Exit
The Witcher season 4 could either make or break the Netflix adaptation with its radical changes to both the cast and the plot.
With Ciri becoming darker and Geralt’s face changing, fans must swallow these hard pills simultaneously. The Witcher already faced a massive risk by recasting Geralt, and making Ciri a “Mad Queen” only adds more pressure to the transition.
Every dark cloud has a silver lining. Some might see this as a chance for The Witcher to reinvent itself after losing its edge in the past few years.
However, the risk factor remains too high. Changing both Geralt and Ciri at the same time could not only spark backlash but also estrange fans who have come to love The Witcher solely because of Henry Cavill and Freya Allan. Only time will tell what the show has in store for us.
If you want to annihilate the makers for recasting Geralt or are willing to try Liam, do pen your thoughts in the comment section below. Ciao!
About The Witcher
The Witcher is a fantasy drama streaming television series created by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich for Netflix. It is based on the book series of the same name by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski.
Set on a fictional, medieval-inspired landmass known as the Continent, The Witcher explores the legend of Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer of Vengerberg, and Princess Ciri.
The show stars Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, and Freya Allan. The show has been renewed for seasons 3 and 4.
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