The Witcher Season 3: Everything We Know So Far About Henry Cavill's Last Season As Geralt

Over the past two seasons of "The Witcher," Henry Cavill's Geralt of Rivia has traversed along an intriguing path through the Continent — making friends and enemies, picking up a child surprise, and fighting some dangerous monsters along the way. Netflix's television adaptation of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski's fantasy novels has been renewed for a third (and fourth) season, which doesn't come as a surprise given its immense popularity. "The Witcher" season 3 will continue the events seen in the second season finale, with Geralt and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) scheming to stay ahead of the Continent's diabolical plans of pursuing Ciri (Freya Allan). Her royal status has made her invaluable to the Northern Kingdoms and the Nilfgaardian Empire, making the monster hunter and the sorceress the only ones who can keep Cintra's princess safe. 

There's much to discuss about "The Witcher" season 3, including its release date, the plot surrounding Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri's characters, and the future of the show — with Henry Cavill deciding to step down from his role and hand over his sword to another actor. Without further ado, let's dive into all we know about "The Witcher" season 3. Please tread carefully — spoilers for seasons 1 and 2 follow.

Geralt and co. will be back soon! "The Witcher" season 3 will be adapted from "Time of Contempt," the second book in Sapkowski's fantasy series. In the novel, Yennefer, Ciri, and Geralt journey to the Brotherhood's headquarters of Aretuza, before a coup causes the trio to separate once again. The book also follows the monarchs of the Northern Kingdoms as they secretly prepare to go to war against Nilfgaard, entirely oblivious that the Emperor of Nilfgaard is well aware of their plans and is making preparations of his own. If the showrunners decide against employing creative license and instead allow the book's story to take precedence, season 3 could be a real turning point for Ciri's character. She is essential to the story, now more than ever, and the season might finally elaborate on the role she must play.

As per Netflix, a synopsis for the third season reads: "As monarchs, mages, and beasts of the Continent compete to capture her, Geralt takes Ciri of Cintra into hiding, determined to protect his newly reunited family against those who threaten to destroy it."

The show's third season will also introduce the Scoia'tael, an army of elves who will be seen fighting on behalf of Nilfgaard. Those who have read "Time of Contempt" know that this book is where the plot really starts to thicken. There's political unrest in the Continent, and Nilfgaard gets stronger and more dangerous. Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer quickly evolve as characters, with glimpses of their past beginning to unravel.

In devastating news to "The Witcher" fans, Henry Cavill is stepping down as Geralt of Rivia, with a certain Hemsworth brother taking the reign. Netflix recently announced that the fantasy series had been renewed for a fourth season, but there's a big adjustment being made: Henry Cavill will be replaced by Liam Hemsworth in the titular role. Fans are crushed to learn the news, as Cavill has been a massive admirer of Geralt's adventures, and the actor's stellar performance as the yellow-eyed monster-hunter has been much loved. Here are Cavill's closing words on his departure:

"In my stead, the fantastic Mr. Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf. As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam's take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men. Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find."

Hemsworth, who is no stranger to big franchises, is thrilled about his new adventure. Here's what the actor has to say:

"As a Witcher fan I'm over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia. Henry Cavill has been an incredible Geralt, and I'm honoured that he's handing me the reins and allowing me to take up the White Wolf's blades for the next chapter of his adventure. Henry, I've been a fan of yours for years and was inspired by what you brought to this beloved character. I may have some big boots to fill, but I'm truly excited to be stepping into The Witcher world."

For the show's third season, we can be assured that Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, Anya Chalotra, and Joey Batey will reprise their roles as Geralt, Ciri, Yennefer, and Jaskier, respectively. Then there's Kim Bodnia as Vesemir, Adjoa Andoh as Nenneke, and Bart Edwards as Emperor Emhyr, who were introduced in season 2. They're all imperative to the trio's adventures, so we can expect to see them return in the show's third season. Netflix has announced a few new characters that will be joining Geralt's adventures — and they include "Upload" star Robbie Amell as Gallatin, "a fighter who leads an army of guerrilla Scoia'tael fighting on behalf of Nilfgaard." 

There's "Shang-Chi" star Meng'er Zhang as Milva, "a fierce and talented huntress; those that cross her, do so at their own peril," and Hugh Skinner is Radovid, described as a "royal playboy and younger brother to King Vizimir." The final new cast member is Christelle Elwin as Mistle, "a member of The Rats, a gang of misfit teenagers who steal from the rich and give to themselves ... and sometimes the poor."

"The Witcher" season 3 will be released in summer 2023, Netflix announced during their global fan event TUDUM in September earlier this year. Details of the show's specific release date are forthcoming. The show officially began production in January 2022, with producer Steve Gaub sharing behind-the-scenes photos of the crew scouting season 3 locations.

Netflix hasn't yet revealed how long "The Witcher" season 3 will be, but judging from the first two seasons, we can expect the third to run for eight episodes as well.

Exciting times lay ahead for fans of "The Witcher," there's much to look forward to as we inch closer to its release. There's no trailer for the forthcoming season yet, but knowing that Netflix has announced it will be available to stream in the summer of 2023, we might be closer to a trailer release than ever now. Season 3 promises breathtaking action as the Continent teeters on the edge of war, with Ciri coming into her own, becoming essential to the story. The trailer is sure to deliver a glimpse of the same!

If you're already missing the Continent and need more "The Witcher" magic in your life, let me tell you about "The Witcher: Blood Origin." The six-part spin-off miniseries tells the origin story of the first Witcher and will depict the Conjunction of the Spheres — the major cataclysm event that merged the world of men and monsters — the historic past we've only heard whispers of.

Set over a thousand years before the events of "The Witcher," "The Witcher: Blood Origin" will explore the long-forgotten tale of the first Witcher. Here's the synopsis from Netflix:

"Set in an elven world 1,200 years before the world of The Witcher, Blood Origin will tell a story lost to time – the origin of the very first Witcher, and the events that lead to the pivotal "conjunction of the spheres" when the worlds of monsters, men, and elves merged to become one."

The six-episode spin-off is said to take place in a pre-colonized world and follows elves in a golden age before they were betrayed by human civilization. The series stars Michelle Yeoh as Scían, the last of her nomadic tribe of sword-elves, Laurence O'Fuarain as the warrior Fjall, and Sophia Brown as a warrior named Éile, among others. "The Witcher: Blood Origin" is slated to release this year on December 25, 2022.

If you want to dive into the world of Sapkowski's novels, we've compiled a complete guide for "The Witcher" books that you can use as your entry point to the lush fantasy world that awaits. There's also "The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf," a prequel anime movie that tells the adventures of young Vesemir, who goes on to become Geralt's mentor. It's currently streaming on Netflix, along with the first two seasons of "The Witcher."