Fans are bewitched by Henry Cavill’s latest role: Geralt of Rivia, the white-haired, sword-wielding monster slayer based on a cult-favorite book and video game series.
“The Witcher,” starring the 36-year-old “Superman” hunk, premiered on Netflix Friday. Despite a minority of negative reviews and pre-release skepticism, fans of the book and game, as well as TV critics, are already spellbound by the fantasy series, with some calling it the next “Game of Thrones.”
The series follows Geralt — who belongs to a superpower-imbued race of warriors known as “Witchers” — as he journeys through a mythical continent and fends off monsters. His saga is intertwined with the lives of the sorceress Yennefer (Anya Chalotra, 23) and Ciri (Freya Allan, 18), a princess who Geralt seeks to protect.
Skepticism preceded the show’s release. For one, it’s based on a video game — that doesn’t usually bode well for ratings and critical acclaim. And, it didn’t entirely help that an action-stuffed trailer for the show also had Cavill brooding in a bathtub — an instant meme signaling that the TV-watching world might not be taking this one seriously.
Still, Cavill, a die-hard gamer, set out to give a dedicated performance: He said that he was such a fan of the video game and books he begged for the role of Geralt.
So far, fans are taking to social media to confirm their approval of Cavill and his beast-hunting ways.
“Looks like I’m gonna finish the whole Witcher season tonight,” wrote binge-watcher @stfushehryar on Twitter. And @DJSYLK tweeted “I’m normally not into shows or movies like this, but the Witcher got me.” While @ImUrHuckleJordy apparently couldn’t help but appreciate the drama: “‘The Witcher’ [is] not so bad. Pretty dumb, but with gusto. I’m enjoying myself.”
Critics too are heaping praise on the series.
IndieWire called it “oddly enjoyable.” A Buzzfeed reviewer is now “officially hooked.” NBC News raved that the show “pushes the boundaries of fantasy more than ‘Game of Thrones’ ever could.” The Verge wrote that Cavill “absolutely nails the role. His Geralt is the exact right blend of scary, sexy, and sarcastic.”
There are only eight episodes in the first season, so at the very least, it’s more approachable to the time-constrained viewer than “Game of Thrones” ever was.