It’s always fascinating to watch a performer get really into their role and even evolve with them. Everybody has seen a show where their favorite character is almost unrecognizable by the end of the series compared to how they started out in the pilot, and that’s an interesting phenomenon every time. But what about when the character in question tends not to be particularly talkative and leans more towards the grunting side of communication? Well, just ask Geralt of Rivia fromThe Witcher.
Henry Cavill instantly captivated audiences when he first appeared as the mutant monster slayerGeralt in Netflix’sThe Witcherand considering how the character is a man of few words, that’s no small feat. But while many might be content to just rest on their laurels and adopt an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” attitude when faced with such positive feedback, it seems as though that isn’t enough for him. It looks like Geralt will have evolved a bit by the time audiences get to see him again inThe Witcherseason 2, and that will be no accident.
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“For this season, I wanted to push really hard to make sure he was more verbose,” Cavill said of his Geralt performance while speaking with SFX Magazine. “There’s always the risk of a character becoming a bit tropey and just comedic by grunting and saying the F-word, and not being representative of the talent of [The Witcherseries author Andrzej Sapkowski]. Again, I really worked very hard to make him more intellectual, have an expanded vocabulary and be representative of a guy 70-plus years old.” Yep, it’s easy to forget that Geralt is much older than he looks, just like the similarly smokin' old manAragorn fromTheLord of the Rings.
It makes sense that Geralt would end up changing quite a bit as a character, particularly given how he’ll now be responsible for young Ciri (Freya Allan) as a mentor and father figure. Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, the showrunner for Netflix’sThe Witcher, elaborated on how those sorts of interactions will affect him. “In season one, Geralt is a person who is convinced he doesn’t need anyone else, certainly not in the long term,” she said. “As a Witcher, as a monster hunter, he doesn’t want to have those connections. Geralt feels like they weaken him.” This may be one reason whythe friendship between Geralt and Jaskieris so cherished by the fandom.
“In season two, we throw all of those connections at him,” Hissrich continued. “To me, the most exciting thing is seeing this solitary guy learn to become a father. Seeing what he thought he would be good at, and what he thought would be easy, and how that’s challenged… For Geralt, it’s about finding surprising levels of warmth and empathy that I think all of us know were there.” If nothing else, it’s an excellent excuse forCavill to show off his rangefrom angry grunting to sympathetic grunting.
Sure, the idea of a gruff character who doesn’t speak much softening and warming up to those around them isn’t exactly a revolutionary concept. But in a series that’s as character-focused asThe Witcher, the execution of these interactions is arguably far more important than the story ideas themselves. After all, a show could have the most incredible story ever written, but if the characters or performances are boring, then what’s the point?
The Witcherseason 2 will premiere December 17th, 2021 on Netflix.
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