The first poster for The Witcher famously showcased Henry Cavill’s turn as Geralt of Rivia, though his new look was a far cry from his days playing more clean-cut characters. As Netflix’s new fantasy series approaches its premiere date, The Witcher executive producer Tomek Baginski reveals how impressed he was by Cavill being “so committed” to playing the titular character.
Henry Cavill has famously played Clark Kent/Superman in several DC films, and a suave CIA agent in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. However, Netflix’s The Witcher, which has changed a few things from its source material, will offer yet another side to the actor. And Tomek Baginski shares the ways in which Cavill became so dedicated to his role.
It's about Henry, and how he became Geralt, and how he embraced this character and he literally became this guy. He was walking around in the jacket to make it work, because the leather had to be worn out, and there is no other way than to just live in this wardrobe, in this cloth, to make it work. For many weeks he was sticking close to the set, so he can be closer to the Witcher world. He was there. He became this character. . . . You don't have very often an actor who is so committed to the role, and this was beautiful. It was such a great, great thing to work with.
Henry Cavill definitely sounds like he put in a lot of effort to bring Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter struggling to connect with the world, to life. So dedicated was he to the role, in fact, that Cavill even did his own stunts on the show. It’s clear that showrunner Tomek Baginski, when speaking with ComicBook.com, was pleased with the actor’s devotion and the results that it brought.
When the first poster unveiled Henry Cavill as Geralt, many fans compared his silver/white tendrils to that of Lord of the Rings’ Legolas, though The Witcher’s Royce Pierreson says the series shouldn’t be compared to either Lord of the Rings or HBO’s Game of Thrones. Once the trailer debuted, however, it was obvious there was more to the series and Cavill's role in it as well.
Though little is known about The Witcher aside from the promotional material Netflix has released thus far, fans of the book series and the popular video game won’t have to wait too long before seeing the live-action adaptation and the ways in which Henry Cavill’s dedication have paid off.
The Witcher Season 1, based on the book series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, will be available to stream on Netflix December 20. For more on what to stream on Netflix this holiday season, be sure to check out our complete guide on for a list of all the content coming to the streaming service this December.
