Not Henry Cavill, or Liam Hemsworth, but Doug Cockle is going to voice Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep.
British actor Henry Cavill is widely known for portraying Superman in DCEU from 2013 to 2023. Apart from portraying Superman on-screen, the actor has played Charles Brandon in The Tudors from 2007 to 2010 and Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s fantasy series The Witcher from 2019 to 2023. The actor has received love and appreciation for his performances, and over the years, Cavill has managed to solidify his place in the industry.
Cavill’s role as Geralt of Rivia was taken over by Australian actor Liam Hemsworth after the British actor announced on his social media that he would be returning as Superman in the DC Universe. Unfortunately, it was later revealed that Cavill would not reprise his superhero character following the shake-up at DC Studios, with James Gunn and Peter Safran taking over as co-CEOs. It has been reported that Netflix wasted an opportunity by calling The Witcher alumnus to voice a character that Henry Cavill could have played flawlessly.
Doug Cockle to voice Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep instead of Henry Cavill
Based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s A Little Sacrifice, The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep is an upcoming animated fantasy drama set in The Witcher universe. Actor Doug Cockle is going to voice Geralt of Rivia in the series, with Joey Batey as Jaskier, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer of Vengerberg, and Christina Wren as Essi Daven.
Kang Hei Chul is directing the project from a screenplay by Mike Ostrowski and Rae Benjamin. Talking about his casting in the animated drama, Cockle, who originated the character in the Witcher video games shared (via Netflix’s Tudum),
“I am super excited to announce my return to the world of The Witcher, voicing Geralt of Rivia once again. I’m thrilled to be able to share this next chapter of the White Wolf’s journey with fans of the Witcher universe. Mire taedh aen stráede!”
Henry Cavill departed from the show after three seasons
The reports explained that the story follows Geralt of Rivia, who has been hired to investigate a series of attacks in a seaside village and finds him drawn into a centuries-old conflict between humans and mer-people. Geralt of Rivia must count on his friends to solve the mystery before the hostilities between the two kingdoms escalate and result in war.
Theo James starrer The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf was the first animated drama released in The Witcher universe by Netflix. James voiced Vesemir in the animated film, while Kim Bodnia portrayed the character in the live-action.
Netflix wasted an opportunity by not calling Henry Cavill back for The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep
Without a doubt, Henry Cavill’s portrayal of Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher for three seasons has been an absolute favorite for the audience and the critics. Fans were disappointed when the actor announced his departure from the show and have expressed from time to time that they would like to see the actor reprise the role someday. Especially now that Superman is out of the picture.
Fans wish to see Henry Cavill back as Geralt of Rivia
But once again, fans have been left disappointed as the streaming giant missed an opportunity to take advantage of the actor’s fan base and popularity to garner attention for The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep. Netflix went ahead and cast Doug Cockle to voice the character, and left Cavill out, who, with his brilliant performance, had already won over the audience.
Cockle is an excellent voice-over actor, but when compared to Cavill’s popularity, he falls a little short. Cavill’s fan base started to solidify when he appeared as Clark Kent, but his performances, over a period of time, have attained him the status of being one of the most influential actors in the industry.
Fans believe that the streaming giant should have reached out to the DC actor for the role in the upcoming animated movie because not only do the fans want to see him, but it would have been a golden chance to garner the much-needed attention of the audience.
The Witcher is streaming on Netflix.