Why Henry Cavill Doesn’t Play Geralt In Netflix’s New The Witcher Movie

The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep is the latest expansion of Netflix’s The Witcher, and even though it stars Geralt of Rivia, he’s not voiced by Henry Cavill. While The Witcher prepares for its fourth season and the debut of Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia, this universe continues to expand. The latest entry is the animated movie Sirens of the Deep, set in the same continuity as the main series. Sirens of the Deep dropped on Netflix on February 11, 2025, making the wait for season 4 a bit more bearable.

Directed by Kang Hei Chul and based on the short story “A Little Sacrifice”, from the short story collection Sword of Destiny, Sirens of the Deep follows Geralt on a new adventure. In it, Geralt sets out to unravel an old conflict between humans and sea people, as it threatens a war between their kingdoms. With the help of Jaskier (Joey Batey) and new allies, it’s up to Geralt to solve the mystery and prevent a war. Sirens of the Deep features some actors from the main series voicing their characters, but the big absentee is Henry Cavill.

The Witcher Sirens of the Deep and Sword of Destiny book cover

The Witcher’s New Movie Is A Reminder To Read One Of Andrzej Sapkowski’s Best Short Stories

The world of The Witcher is expanding with the animated movie Sirens of the Deep, and it’s a great reminder to read the short story it’s based on.

Sirens Of The Deep’s Cast Was Announced After Henry Cavill Left The Witcher

Henry Cavill Left The Witcher Before Season 3’s Debut

Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in front of a circle of smoke in The Witcher season 3.

While fans of The Witcher waited for the release of season 3, a big announcement was made that took everyone by surprise. In October 2022, Cavill revealed he was leaving The Witcher after season 3, and along with that announcement, Netflix revealed Liam Hemsworth would be taking over as Geralt in season 4. In April 2024, Netflix renewed The Witcher for a fifth and final season, so it’s expected that Hemsworth will continue to play Geralt until the show’s end.

It’s unknown in which phase of development Sirens of the Deep was when Cavill left.

Now, Sirens of the Deep was announced to be in development in September 2021 at Netflix’s Tudum event. In 2023, the movie’s title was revealed along with a 2024 release date that was eventually delayed to February 2025. By the time the title and more were announced, Cavill had already left The Witcher, but it’s unknown in which phase of development Sirens of the Deep was when Cavill left. It’s also unknown since when Netflix knew Cavill wasn’t returning for season 4, so it’s possible that by the time Sirens of the Deep entered production, Cavill had already decided to leave.

Who Plays Geralt Of Rivia In The Witcher: Sirens Of The Deep

He’s Voiced By Another Geralt Actor

Geralt unsheathes his sword in The Witcher - Sirens of the Deep promo art

Henry Cavill’s final performance as Geralt of Rivia was in The Witcher season 3, but Netflix brought another Geralt actor for Sirens of the Deep. Geralt of Rivia is voiced by Doug Cockle in Sirens of the Deep, and he’s no stranger to the world of The Witcher. Those familiar with the Witcher video games will recognize Cockle’s voice, as he has voiced Geralt since 2007. Cockle has voiced Geralt in every English version of The Witcher video games, most recently in 2016 in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Hearts of Stone.

Doug Cockle is set to voice Geralt again in The Witcher IV, which will have Ciri as the main character. At the time of writing, The Witcher IV doesn’t have a release date.

Doug Cockle has also been part of the voice cast of many other video games, such as Perfect Dark Zero, Soulcalibur VI, and Baldur’s Gate 3. Outside the world of video games, Cockle has had minor roles in movies like The Tailor of Panama, Reign of Fire, and Captain America: The First Avenger, as well as on the TV shows Band of Brothers and The Second Coming.

The Witcher Geralt video games Henry Cavill Sirens of the Deep

The Witcher: All 6 Actors Who Have Played Geralt Of Rivia

The world of The Witcher has seen different actors as Geralt in the books’ many adaptations, all of them bringing a unique touch to the character.

Why Liam Hemsworth Is Not The One Voicing Geralt In The Witcher’s New Movie

Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt Debut Will Be In Season 4

Liam Hemsworth as Geralt in The Witcher, sporting white hair and looking stoic

If not Henry Cavill voicing Geralt in Sirens of the Deep, that leaves the question of why his replacement in Netflix’s The Witcher isn’t voicing Geralt, either. The announcement of Liam Hemsworth playing Geralt arrived at the same time as that of Cavill’s departure, so there was no wait for the audience between Cavill’s exit and Hemsworth’s casting – however, it’s unknown how long it passed behind the scenes between these two, so it’s possible that Netflix spent a long time looking for the next Geralt.

It’s possible that Sirens of the Deep was already in production and with its cast locked in when Hemsworth was cast.

As mentioned above, it’s unknown which part of its development and production Sirens of the Deep was in when the announcements of Cavill’s departure and Hemsworth’s casting were made, as well as when Hemsworth was cast. It’s possible, then, that Sirens of the Deep was already in production and with its cast locked in when Hemsworth was cast, thus not making it possible for him to voice Geralt.

Even if Hemsworth had been cast (and his casting announced) before Sirens of the Deep, it’s unlikely Netflix would have given him the role of Geralt in the movie. That would have been Hemsworth’s debut as Geralt, and it’s very different to voice the character than playing him in live-action. Hemsworth’s Geralt debut being in The Witcher rather than Sirens of the Deep ensures that the attention will go to the main show, which has been struggling in recent seasons while allowing Sirens of the Deep to be its own thing.

Is Geralt From The Witcher: Sirens Of The Deep The Same One From The Netflix Show?

It’s All Connected In The World Of The Witcher

A big question about Sirens of the Deep is its connection to the main TV show and if it’s set in the same timeline. Just like the animated prequel movie Nightmare of the Wolf and the prequel miniseries Blood Origin, Sirens of the Deep is set in the same continuity as The Witcher. As revealed by Netflix, Sirens of the Deep is set between episodes 5 and 6 of The Witcher season 1, meaning that the Geralt in the movie is the same as Cavill and Hemsworth’s in the main series – and, of course, that also goes for Jaskier and Yennefer.

Actor	Character
Doug Cockle	Geralt of Rivia
Joey Batey	Jaskier
Anya Chalotra	Yennefer of Vengerberg
Christina Wren	Essi Daven
Emily Carey	Sh’eenaz

Sirens of the Deep’s place in the Witcher timeline also explains why Ciri isn’t a main character in it, despite being so in the main show and her strong connection to Geralt. The Witcher season 1, episode 5, “Bottled Appetites”, follows Jaskier and Geralt as they encounter a Djinn, which leads them to meet Yennefer. This is the beginning of Geralt and Yennefer’s relationship, and episode 6, “Rare Species”, sees them briefly reconciling before parting ways again. It’s worth noting that The Witcher season 1 was told in a non-linear style, and these events happened before Ciri had to escape.

The young Geralt briefly seen in Nightmare of the Wolf, Cavill’s version in the first three seasons of The Witcher, Geralt in Sirens of the Deep, and Hemsworth’s version in seasons 4 and 5 are all the same, just played by different actors. Sirens of the Deep is a complement to The Witcher, and will help the audience get to know Geralt a bit better.

Source: Netflix