Henry Cavill embraces fantasy geek side with The Witcher
WEST HOLLYWOOD: Henry Cavill is all-in on his new fantasy series The Witcher, but he said the "door hasn't closed" on a return as Superman in the DC cinematic universe.
The 36-year-old British actor last played the superhero in 2017's Justice League and it is unclear whether any upcoming movies will feature the character, even as several films based on DC superheroes are in the works, including sequels to Wonder Woman and Aquaman.
Cavill dons a long white wig to play monster hunter Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher, an ambitious eight-episode adaptation of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski's books.
With intense magic, scheming political factions and epic battles, it is targeting the audiences that made Game Of Thrones a worldwide phenomenon.
"I live in the fantasy genre anyway, that's my hobby. And so for me, it was always obvious. It was like yes, of course, these shows can be popular. It was always a target. I always wanted to bring things like this to the screen in one way, shape or form," said Cavill.
The show premieres on Netflix on Dec 20, and production begins early next year on a second season.
The Witcher features Cavill's Geralt engaging in intricately choreographed swordplay, relaxing in a bath and talking to his horse - these are all recognisable moments for fans of the hit 2015 role-playing game The Witcher 3.
Cavill said his horse chats recalled his real-life dialogue with his American Akita dog Kal, who shows up regularly on his Instagram feed.
"That's exactly what I was channelling when I was interacting with Roach (the horse), it was 100 per cent the relationship Kal and I have," he said.
"Geralt may be a little harder. Generally, he's been living in a harsher world and hated by a lot of people for longer than I have."
Cavill was a fan of The Witcher 3 before he landed the series. He said he imagined himself in the role while playing the game, which runs for dozens of hours.
"What CD Projekt Red did with the game was extraordinary," he said of the company that created the game series.
"And so all the work is kind of done for you. It's all visualised in a spectacular world.
"Every time I played the games, all I thought was how can I recreate this in a certain way? And where would it be possible? How is it possible? Is there anywhere in the world that looks like this?" - AP
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