Cavill Out, Hemsworth in, but the Witcher Fans Declare Season 3 to Be the Last

Though it's been one of the most popular action series over the past several years, Netflix's The Witcher had an overwhelmingly negative reaction to the recently dropped Season 3 trailer. Fans are saying that after this season, when Henry Cavill is gone, so are they.

Cavill had announced last fall that he'll be done with the role after Season 3, to be replaced by Hunger Games' Liam Hemsworth.

He was a massive fan of the source material games and reportedly loved the role, but he was upset at the series' direction. They took too many liberties in changing plot points and characterization for his liking.

Things got worse when former writer and series’ producer Beau DeMayo claimed that everyone in the writers' room despised and mocked the original books and video games. These allegations were dismissed by showrunner Lauren Hissrich, but the damage was done.

The trailer for Season 3 was released on April 25th. Few of the comments are positive.

'Respect your actors, respect the source material, respect your audience,' one said. 'Thank you Henry, you spoke for us all.'

One fan compared Netflix's adaptations to those of HBO, which has thrived in the streaming industry while having faithful adaptations of beloved works.

Many fans are saying they'll stop watching when Cavill is gone, while some are suggesting that the show won't even make it that long.

YouTuber LegacyKillaHD tweeted a screengrab of the video's dislikes, which were almost four times higher than the trailer's likes. While these statistics aren't official (as YouTube no longer presents dislikes without a plug-in), that's still not a great ratio.

There hasn't yet been an official response to the outcry from Netflix. Season 4 and 5 are still slated to be shot back-to-back later this year, implying that they do plan to go on despite fans' objections. There have been rumors that the series will not be renewed after Season 5, but there has been no official word from Netflix.

Fans are lamenting the quick downfall of a show that was so beloved when it was first released in 2019. Some are even saying another company should sweep up the IP and do a reboot starring Cavill.

Few of the complaints on the trailer were about the actual content of the video. Both the first two seasons were highly regarded, despite the changes made to the story.

Netflix will be releasing Volume 1, Episodes 1-5, on June 29. Episodes 6-8 will be released on July 27. The creators have promised a 'heroic sendoff' for Cavill before he's to be recast.