Netflix is dragging out the public’s interest in The Witcher season three (and Henry Cavill’s last hurrah as the beloved Geralt of Rivia) through the summer with a split premiere. The news came by way of a new teaser trailer that dropped today.
The third (and not final!) season of The Witcher is set to release on Netflix in two volumes on June 29 and July 27. This isn’t new, as Netflix has split new releases for a while with Stranger Things, You, and Love Is Blind, among other original projects by the streamer.
Earlier this month, fans learned some new characters have joined the cast, including Robbie Amell as Gallatin, Meng’er Zhang as Milva, Hugh Skinner as Prince Radovid, and Chrtille Elwin as Mistle.
“As monarchs, mages, and beasts of the Continent compete to capture her, Geralt takes Ciri of Cintra into hiding, determined to protect his newly-reunited family against those who threaten to destroy it,” a press release says. “Entrusted with Ciri’s magical training, Yennefer leads them to the protected fortress of Aretuza, where she hopes to discover more about the girl’s untapped powers; instead, they discover they’ve landed in a battlefield of political corruption, dark magic, and treachery. They must fight back, put everything on the line — or risk losing each other forever. “
While the hint that the Wild Hunt is entering the scene, as it was teased at the end of Netflix’s Witcher spinoff Blood Origin and in today’s trailer, is exciting, there is a greater cloud that looms over the adaptation with the inevitable departure of Cavill as the game and show’s main character.
In October, fans learned Cavill would part ways with the production after the next season, with Liam Hemsworth set to take over the role starting in season four. Rumors circulated that he has clashed with showrunners over the accuracy to source material, and there were hopes (and hypes courtesy of The Rock) that he would be reprising his role as Superman in the DCEU, though shakeups courtesy of recently-appointed DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn and Peter Safran have put those rumors mostly to bed.
“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,” Cavill said in October when news of the recast was revealed. “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.”
Lauren Schmidt Hissrich acts as showrunner and executive producer. Executive producers include Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, Tomek Baginski, Jason F. Brown, Sean Daniel, Mike Ostrowski, Steve Gaub and Jarosław Sawko. The series is directed by Stephen Surjik, Gandja Monteiro, Loni Peristere and Bola Ogun.
