Henry Cavill won’t return to The Witcher despite Superman exit

Henry Cavill’s Superman exit left some wondering whether it could spell a U-turn for his role in Netflix’s The Witcher series. The actor announced earlier in 2022 that he was leaving the show after three seasons as the main character Geralt of Rivia, shortly after confirming his return as Superman.

However, while his DCEU return has now been scrapped, Variety has confirmed Cavill will not be heading back to the Netflix fantasy epic. The Witcher season 4 is going ahead as planned with Liam Hemsworth taking on the role of Geralt. Cavill has instead been attached to a new Warhammer series potentially at Amazon.

Cavill’s exit as Superman was confirmed by James Gunn, one of the new heads of DC Studios. The writer and director explained they were working on a new movie set during a younger period of Superman's life, which is why Cavill won’t be back.

Sharing a statement on Instagram, Cavill said: "It’s sad news, everyone. I will, after all, not be returning as Superman. After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to [James Gunn and Peter Safran's] hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life. I respect that James and Peter have a universe to build. I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck, and the happiest of fortunes."

Cavill announced his exit from The Witcher in October, much to fans' devastation. However, series showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich told GamesRadar+ that she was excited about the change. "I think that it's just a new chapter for us," she said. "And I think new chapters bring new energy and that people will find things to love."

Jaskier star Joey Batey echoed the sentiment to us too, confirming that he’s already been speaking with Hemsworth ahead of the new season. He said: "He is throwing himself into the deep end of this mythos and this canon with such power and grace and aplomb that I'm really excited to work with him and to see the kind of interpretation that he's going to bring together."

Check out our guide to The Witcher season 3 for all you need to know about returning to The Continent. We've also rounded up how to watch the DC movies in order.