The Witcher star Joey Batey has reacted to Henry Cavill’s shock exit from the Netflix show, describing it as “sad.”
The Man of Steel actor announced the third season would be his last as Geralt of Rivia, with Liam Hemsworth assuming the role from the fourth season onwards.
The news came as a shock to many, but Batey, who plays the bard Jaskier, said he knew of the actor’s decision before it broke.
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“[Cavill’s departure is] sad. Henry and I are quite close,” Batey exclusively told Digital Spy. “I knew a little bit before everyone else, really. But to be honest, the whole cast is just going: ‘We’re all going to miss him.’
“He’s worked so hard, and particularly on season three. We just wrapped [filming] on season three a couple of months ago. And the man is the hardest-working man in all of Hollywood,” he continued.
Upon his departure, Cavill released a statement in which he said he enjoyed his time on the fantasy series before wishing his replacement the best of luck.
Related: The Witcher: Blood Origin teaser trailer revealed by Netflix
“In my stead, the fantastic Mr Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf,” he said. “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.
“Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find,” he concluded.
Before the third season airs in mid-2023, Netflix will unveil its prequel, Blood Origin, which is set 1200 years before the events of the parent series. The four-episode miniseries will depict the Elven civilisation, with the cast including Sophie Brown, Michelle Yeoh and Lenny Henry.
The Witcher seasons 1-2 are now streaming on Netflix. Season 3 is in production, and spin-off The Witcher: Blood Origin premieres on December 25, also on Netflix.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
