In what was an unfortunate year for fans of Henry Cavill, the actor lost out on playing Superman in the DC Universe as well as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher. Since the two happened almost simultaneously, it was an even stronger punch to the gut! Although there are no confirmed reasons as to why Henry Cavill left The Witcher, fans are speculating creative differences are the root cause.
One of the reasons why we love Henry Cavill so much is that he is an avid gamer and a huge geek, just like the rest of us. This might be the reason behind him leaving the Netflix original behind as it was diverging from the source material. However, if this is the case then it isn’t the first time Henry Cavill has taken this step. Back in 2015, he pulled out of another project, possibly for the same reason – inaccuracy.
Why did Henry Cavill Leave Stratton?
The Simon West-directed film Stratton (2017) is based on the book series written by Duncan Falconer. Back in 2014, it was announced that Henry Cavill would be starring in the film as the lead character John Stratton. However, we all know that Stratton isn’t a part of Cavill’s filmography as actor Dominic Cooper took over the role eventually. This happened because Cavill bid his farewell to the movie just five days before the shooting was supposed to start. GFM films released a statement announcing Cavill’s departure from the role due to “creative differences.” They also stated that even though the film will be moving forward, production will inevitably be delayed.
“It is with great regret that we announce that Henry Cavill has pulled out of ‘Stratton’ due to creative differences on the script of the movie. With production due to commence next week, we wish to keep the production team together and Simon West as director so are working now to replace Henry. Production will be delayed whilst we do this. Further announcements will be made in due course.”
When Cavill decided to get on board the film, he was excited to be able to tell the story of the British Special Forces with Stratton. He stated that he and the team would ensure that the source material is followed as accurately as possible.
“I’ve long wanted to tell a story about the British Special Forces, and finally the opportunity has come around. Duncan Falconer’s work is fantastic, and we are incredibly fortunate to be working with him so closely. We plan to convert the books to cinema as accurately as possible while keeping them topical.”
It looks like Stratton might have been going off of the tracks a bit when it came to following Falconer’s books. And since Cavill has always been passionate about anything and everything geeky, this did not sit right with him. The “creative differences” cited as the reason could mean that while Cavill wanted to go in a different direction, his opinion was not being taken into account. The Enola Holmes actor is staying true to his principles even today with The Witcher as a lot of people believe he left the show due to them not sticking to the books and the video games.
What’s Next for The Witcher?
This is no secret. Cavill will be playing Geralt of Rivia for the last time in season three, despite initially agreeing to play the character for the full seven seasons. The torch has officially been passed to Liam Hemsworth who will be seen playing the White Wolf from season four onwards.
Needless to say, fans are not thrilled with the recasting. They are worried Hemsworth will not be able to do justice to the character as the bar has already been set sky-high thanks to Cavill’s effortless portrayal. It sure will take fans some time to warm up to the recasting. However, is it fair to reach conclusions even before seeing Hemsworth’s version of the character?
The Witcher is available to stream on Netflix.
Source: Variety
