It may be a fantasy series, but The Witcher isn’t going after Game of Thrones’ crown. The Netflix production, which premiered today on Netflix, stars Henry Cavill as monster hunter Geralt of Rivia. While comparisons to the wildly popular HBO series are inevitable, Cavill stressed that The Witcher is a much different show that just happens to be in the same basic genre.
“I think comparisons are always going to be made and it’s fun,” said the Justice League star while promoting the show, via Entertainment Tonight. “It’s fine when they’re two ends of a spectrum in a fantasy genre. But that’s like saying someone’s going to be the next Tom Cruise. No one’s going to be the next Tom Cruise.”
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Cavill recently shared the screen with Cruise, playing the mustachioed heavy August Walker in Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
“Yes, I fought him [in the film], but even I, who fought him, isn’t going to be the next Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise and he exists as Tom Cruise. The Witcher is never going to be Game of Thrones. It’s going to be something else completely different. It exists within that fantasy genre, yes, but it must exist by itself. Otherwise, it’ll always be …a disappointment.”
Based on the popular book series from author Andrzej Sapkowski, Cavill said that pleasing The Witcher’s existing fanbase put him under more pressure than trying to be the next Game of Thrones. Especially since he’s a fan himself.
“I’m one of his fans,” explained Cavill. “I am one of them, 100 percent rabidly enthusiastic about doing the right thing for the show. I’ve been a fan of fantasy genre since I was a boy and a big fan of the games, a huge fan of the books as well. So for me, I am in the same boat. Like, no prisoners.”
The Witcher also comes at a time when several major production companies are looking to fill the void left after Game of Thrones concluded back in April. Especially as HBO is gearing up one (for now) Game of Thrones spinoff, House of the Dragon, which is set 300 years before the events of the landmark series. Amazon is also working on two ambitious adaptations of landmark fantasy works, Wheel of Time and Lord of the Rings.
You can stream The Witcher now on Netflix.
