14 Undeniable Reasons Why Henry Cavill Was Perfectly Cast In "The Witcher"

He wanted to take THAT bathtub scene even further!

The Witcher has returned for a second season, and I think it's about time we gave the lead props.

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Freya Allen, Anya Chalotra, and Joey Batey have all done an excellent job, and share responsibility for the show's success. However, after some scepticism over him being cast as Geralt, Henry Cavill has proven himself to be made for the part. 

When I heard that Superman would be playing the rugged, husky Witcher, even I had doubts. Now I see he was born to be Geralt of Rivia, and here's why:

1. First of all, he LOVES the source material.

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It's true that to be an actor, you don't have to know, or even be interested in, the film or show that you're acting in. Hell, Gwyneth Paltrow can't even remember which MCU films she's starred in!

However, Cavill's fascination with The Witcher – both the books and the game – has helped him to portray a character that is really the bedrock of the show. In fact, Henry himself said that he's "effusive in being loyal to the source material".

2. He clearly felt that the part of Geralt was his destiny (which is good because destiny is what the show's all about).

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Cavill badgered his agents to let him meet with showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich before the show had even been green-lit.  In fact, Henry's quest to play Geralt was so dogged that Hissrich even said she found him "annoying". However, after hearing 206 actors audition for the part, she still couldn't get him out of her head (who can blame her?) and so she ended up casting him.

3. He's like a "Witcher bible" on set.

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Freya Allan gave us a peek behind the curtain, revealing what it's like to film with Henry – "on set, we'll be doing a scene... and he'll be like, 'I think we should use this line from page 253 from Blood of Elves.'" Okay, so maybe he's a know-it-all, but he's a lovable one!

4. He spent lockdown re-playing The Witcher 3 on the hardest difficulty.

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Henry revealed that the trilogy of games was his gateway into fantasy, and said that the rough tone of his voice in the show was inspired by Doug Cockle's Geralt in the games. 

Despite being based on the books and not the games, the series made sure to give a nod to gamers by including the iconic bathtub scene. Henry actually wanted to try and put his feet up in the scene as a homage to the famous bit in the game! We would've gotten that steamy moment if not for an awkward-sized bath and the suggestion from someone on set that it might be a bit much.

5. He's intent on doing Geralt's character arc justice.

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Henry's goal for his version of Geralt is to stay as true to the character from the books as he can. This had an impact going into season two, with Henry pushing really hard to give Geralt more of a voice (literally) in order to delve deeper into his character.

Speaking to Lorraine, Henry alluded to his own input into Geralt's personal development in the second season, "Andrzej Sapkowski wrote an incredibly nuanced and beautiful three-dimensional character, and I campaigned very very hard to make sure that character existed in season two."

6. He's a huge gaming and role-play fan, which we love to see!

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Did you know that Henry is a proper fantasy fanatic? In an interview with Graham Norton, he explained his love of both The Witcher and Warhammer. He also famously nearly missed Zach Snyder informing him of his Superman role because he was deep in a raid on World of Warcraft. Priorities, right?

7. He insisted on doing all of his own stunts and swordwork, which he went all-in on.

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When asked whether the swordwork was him, Henry replied, "that is 100% me. It is very important to me that I continue the character into the action. The character must exist within the action as well as in the dialogue scenes.

Henry spent a lot of time on and off set with a sword in his hand, and even trained for 10 days for just two minutes of fighting! Now that's commitment. 

8. He and Joey Batey are the perfect duo.

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Geralt's friendship with Jaskier provides much of the comic relief in the series, which contrasts super well alongside some of the darker moments. Two scenes that sum them up perfectly are when Geralt is in the bath (again), and when Geralt goes back to save Yen, and says Jaskier "are you perhaps short of a marble?!"

Oh, and who could forget all of their antics which led up to Jaskier's wonderful song "Toss a Coin to Your Witcher"?!

If you're interested, here's three and a half minutes of Geralt and Jaskier just being Geralt and Jaskier:

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9. The way Henry says "fuck" gets me every time!

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It isn't a proper episode of The Witcher without at least one f-bomb.

10. Oh, and while we're at it, we can't forget his "hmm"s – the best "hmm"s in the business!

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Someone has painstakingly stitched all 40 "hmm"s from season one together – each better than the last – and for that, I thank you.

Being a mutant of few words, it was important for Henry to put as much emotion into these thoughtful absorptions as possible, and he certainly succeeded IMO.

11. He's managed to convince the naysayers that he truly is the best Geralt, and that's a credit to him.

Warner Bros. Pictures, Netflix

When he was first cast, many fans thought Henry was "too pretty" and traditionally handsome to play the rugged, scarred Geralt. However, his familiarity with the franchise and his penchant for detail (notably, the low growly voice) has helped to convince many sceptics!

On the left: pretty-boy Superman. On the right: rugged mutant Geralt.

12. But he also gets that some stans of The Witcher books and games might not like the series, and that's okay.

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That's right folks, he's humble too! Henry has refused to condemn opinionated fans, arguing that they have the right to their opinions. His denial that The Witcher has a 'toxic' fandom makes him ~even~ more likeable!

Speaking to Jake Hamilton, Henry commented that with games and books, you'll never be exactly what people imagined in their heads.

13. And finally, Andrej Sapkowski – who wrote The Witcher book series – has given Henry his seal of approval. So, y'know, that's that really.

Netflix, Torsten Silz / DDP/AFP via Getty Images, New Line Cinema

Andrej Sapkowski gave Henry some of the highest praise possible for his embodiment of Geralt. Of his performance, Andrej has said, "just as Viggo Mortensen put his face to Aragorn, so Henry gave his to Geralt – and it shall be forever so". Considering Viggo's Aragorn is one of THE most iconic characters in fantasy history, I'd say that's good going for Henry!

14. Oh, and the relationship Henry has with his dog Kal is essentially the same relationship Geralt has with Roach – which I find utterly adorable!

Instagram: @henrycavill

From his Instagram post – "the bond Kal and I share is so second nature by now that some light affection like this is all instinct."

Sound familiar?

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You can catch up with The Witcher on Netflix right now! Let us know your opinions in the comments below.