Despite Netflix’s The Witcher being a straight hit for the streaming giant when it was released, many didn’t like what it offered. In an interview with The Guardian, the actress who plays Yennefer in the series, Anya Chalotra, opened up about how a small part of the fandom aggressively attacked her online for not looking the part of her character. She said:
I’m not on social media. I stopped. I haven’t been on it for a long time. The first season, for me … there was a lot of negativity. A lot of positive as well, but obviously the negative … This was one of my first jobs. It hit me hard. I learned very quickly that it can all be quite intense.
Considering this took place even before Henry Cavill, who played the lead role of Geralt of Rivia till Season 3, left the production, it only goes to show just how rabid a small minority of the fandom can be. And now, as a new face of Geralt is to be introduced, Chalotra feels good things are to come for the show’s last two seasons.
Despite Henry Cavill’s Exit, Anya Chalotra Is Positive about The Witcher’s Future
As soon as Season 3 of The Witcher was released, many fans mentally shut off from the show due to Henry Cavill’s exit. The reasons for his departure due to source inaccuracies and extreme deviations are well known, which is also the reason why the fandom bashed the decision to let the star go.
And yet, despite this entire fiasco, Anya Chalotra has her hopes up for the future of the series, which still has one more season to go before its conclusion. In an interview with ScreenRant, she talked about feeling confident in actor Liam Hemsworth taking over the role of Geralt of Rivia from Cavill in Season 4. She said:
Oh God, yeah. Unfortunately, we don’t have that much time together this season, but there’s a real calm you (Liam Hemsworth) bring, and which I think in this… and safety that I think I felt as an actor also, Yennefer needed.
And despite her disappointment at Cavill’s exit from the series, her confidence in Hemsworth might reassure fans a little. Unfortunately, as Season 4 has now premiered, it isn’t looking so sunny for The Witcher.
Even When The Witcher Season 4 Is Trending, It Spells Doom for the Series
According to the numbers via FlixPatrol, it appears that even amid the backlash, The Witcher Season 4 has managed to secure a place among the Top 10 Trending shows on Netflix. However, at the same time, numbers don’t necessarily indicate that the show itself has received a positive reception from the fandom.
As stated earlier, after Cavill’s exit, Hemsworth’s portrayal of Geralt has been put under a microscope, with every aspect of it and the season’s story receiving heavy critique. And with reviews of The Witcher Season 4 coming in, they have been heavily mixed at best, especially when considering fan feedback.
With the lack of marketing around the release of The Witcher Season 4, all signs point towards a decline in the show’s popularity, which might only get worse as Season 5 rolls around.
Here’s more information on The Witcher Season 4.
Did you watch The Witcher Season 4? Tell us in the comments below.
The Witcher Season 4 is now available to stream on Netflix (US).
