Henry Cavill leaving The Witcher could definitely cause some problems, but even if he had stayed on, that wouldn’t save the show from itself anyway.
It’s fair to say that season 3 of The Witcher didn’t quite live up to expectations, and fans are concerned that Henry Cavill’s departure will just worsen things even more, but the show’s problems extend much further beyond the Geralt character. The Netflix series has seen a steady decline in both popularity and quality since that first season, and while there are still plenty of things to love about the show, it’s clear that certain creative decisions haven’t landed well. These have nothing to do with Cavill’s work, so his staying on wouldn’t have been able to solve them either.
The reason Henry Cavill is leaving The Witcher actually speaks volumes about the show’s problems. The actor is a huge fan of the original novels, and he’s allegedly taken issue with many of the creative decisions made on the show. The first season of The Witcher was an incredibly faithful adaptation, but since then, its story has diverted pretty strongly from the source material and has struggled to find any real direction. The Witcher is suffering from many narrative issues that require more than Henry Cavill’s involvement to fix.
The Witcher’s Problems Run Much Deeper Than Henry Cavill Leaving His Geralt Role
One of the main issues with The Witcher’s third season was its inability to balance all the different storylines that are being explored at once. The show is biting off way more than it can chew, and as a result, none of those subplots are as engaging or exciting as they had the potential to be. The first season followed Geralt’s journey much more closely, but as soon as The Witcher introduced so many supporting characters and complex storylines, it became much harder for the audience to really care. Cavill’s performance has been a strong cornerstone of the series, but season 3 proved that even he’s not enough.
How The Witcher Season 4 Can Get Back On Track After Henry Cavill’s Exit
In order to fully get back on track in season 4 and reach the heights that The Witcher experienced at the beginning, the show has to abandon some of those needless subplots that are distracting from Geralt’s story. This might be difficult at first, as some viewers will take issue with the unresolved storylines, but Liam Hemsworth’s arrival in the role makes for the perfect opportunity to do this. Perhaps there will even be a slight time jump before season 4, and these subplots could be resolved off-screen.
Ultimately, The Witcher is going to have to work hard in order to overcome the issues that arose in season 3, but the major recast is actually the shake-up that it needs to put those pieces in action. It can be a fresh start for the show, allowing it to leave these messy characters and subplots in the past, moving forward with a new face. This probably wouldn’t have been possible if Cavill stayed, so while it will be sad to watch him leave, his departure could actually be exactly what the show needs to stay afloat.
