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'The only Geralt is Henry Cavill': Fans launch petition demanding actor's return to 'The Witcher'

The makers of the show announced that Henry Cavill will portray the lead till Season 3, after which Liam Hemsworth will take over the mantle

Fans of 'The Witcher' were delivered some shocking news over the recasting of their favorite character. With Liam Hemsworth set to replace Henry Cavill in the hit Netflix series, the news hasn't gone down well with many. 

Now, they have launched a petition on Change.org, demanding Henry Cavill's return to the series as the brutal monster-hunter. "NETFLIX: You MUST keep Henry Cavill as The Witcher and replace the writers instead," reads the petition that has so far gathered over 14k signatures from 'The Witcher' fans. 

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Notably, Cavill announced he will once again be reprising the role of Superman in the DC universe, while 'The Witcher' has frequently been criticized for straying from the original source material. According to the petition, "Henry isn’t leaving The Witcher because of Superman," rather, "Netflix wants to replace him" because he was one of those fans who "knows all of it inside out and wanted to stay true to Sapkowski’s world." The petition goes on to quote Andrzej Sapkowski, the author of the series: "I was more than happy with Henry Cavill's appearance as The Witcher, he's a real professional. Just as Viggo Mortensen gave his face to Aragorn, so Henry gave his to Geralt and it shall be forever so."

With the 39-year-old having truly embodied the role, it is difficult to picture anyone else. "THE ONLY GERALT IS HENRY CAVILL," voiced one fan, while another opined, "Damn. I take it this is cause he was never happy with the writing for the show and it didn't seem like it was going to be more book accurate." Others were in absolute disbelief, some even questioning, "Is it April fool's?" One person felt that the entire show should be canceled once Cavill exits it. "Just cancel this disaster of a show. Henry was the only good thing about it. Dude carried the joke thing alone."

Someone else wrote, "I’ve never been genuinely upset over a tv show until now. #thewitcher," while a second asked, "How can they replace this for liam hemsworth and pretend like nothing happened?" Regardless of Hemsworth's credentials and caliber, fans simply do not want anyone but Cavill to portray Geralt of Rivia. One person tweeted, "Bruh... Liam Hemsworth is great and I think he will do well with the role but... Henry is the PERFECT Geralt..." "Nothing against Liam, but the passion Henry had for this role, and for The Witcher as a whole was unmatched. This is extremely unfortunate. Hopefully he reprises the role in the future," echoed another.

Meanwhile, Liam Hemsworth took to social media to announce his joy at having bagged the role. "As a Witcher fan I’m over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia. Henry Cavill has been an incredible Geralt, and I’m honoured that he’s handing me the reins and allowing me to take up the White Wolf’s blades for the next chapter of his adventure," he wrote, adding his appreciation towards his predecessor, "Henry, I’ve been a fan of yours for years and was inspired by what you brought to this beloved character. I may have some big boots to fill, but I’m truly excited to be stepping into The Witcher world."

The same camaraderie was displayed by Cavill, who announced his departure from the show. "Some news to share from The Continent…My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4. In my stead, the fantastic Mr Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf. 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 wrote.

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