‘The Witcher’: Is Henry Cavill Too Handsome to Play Geralt of Rivia on the Netflix Series?

It feels like Netflix is constantly dropping fresh content. But then again, not every movie or series on the streaming service has Henry Cavill vying to participate. The actor — who plays Superman in the DC Extended Universe — campaigned hard to land the lead in The Witcher. But do Cavill’s undeniable good looks make him a poor choice to bring Geralt of Rivia to life?

‘The Witcher’ has become a new hit series for Netflix

Regardless of how anyone feels, the casting move appears to have paid off. The Witcher has been a big crowdpleaser among Netflix subscribers. And the streaming service itself has demonstrated great confidence in the show. Even before season 1 debuted, The Witcher Season 2 received a green light.

For Cavill, the show’s success has been even more satisfying. After all, the actor has revealed the close connection he feels to the role. So getting the chance to continue digging into the character must be a relief. With a number of books and video games to draw from for inspiration, The Witcher could be a Netflix staple for years to come.

But was Henry Cavill the best choice to play the lead?

Yet, at the time of Cavill’s casting, some fans were skeptical that the actor was the right choice. To some fans, it seems, Cavill is too good-looking to play Geralt of Rivia. The actor recently spoke to Variety about overcoming that unique problem.

Geralt doesn’t smile much and even when he does in the books it’s called a “hideous smile.” … I dunno what the direct translation is from Polish. But it’s one of those things where I always saw it not necessarily as the person being hideous, but as the intent with the smile. Or there was something that the smile was trying to achieve that struck horror or made someone feel a certain way. That was the kind of thing that I was expecting to play with.

Whenever a movie or show adapts a book, every reader has his or her own vision of what the character looks like. Regardless of how fans interpret the text, the fact is that Cavill has now more or less won over The Witcher fans. The actor’s dedication to the role has certainly helped.

The actor faces an uncertain future with his other role: Superman

Cavill’s future as Geralt of Rivia is secure. But ironically, the actor’s other iconic role remains a mystery. He debuted as Superman in 2013’s Man of Steel. And while the DCEU is gearing up for some major creative shifts, there’s been no official update on whether Cavill will return.

In the meantime, fans of The Witcher or Cavill in general have a lot to look forward to. In addition to season 2 of his Netflix show, 2021 will see the long-awaited release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League on HBO Max. Will those new cut mark the last fans see of Cavill’s Superman? We’ll see.