Netflix is gearing up for the launch of what it hopes will be their next big fantasy series, and they just released the first photos of the main characters from “The Witcher.”
And to the surprise of many, the photos look … pretty good?
“The Witcher” is originally based on books written by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. It was adapted as a best-selling video game series, and Netflix picked up the TV adaption with Lauren Schmidt Hissrich overseeing it.
“The Witcher is an epic tale of fate and family,” Netflix says in a logline for the show. “Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together.”
Henry Cavill was cast in the role of the protagonist, Geralt of Rivia. Geralt is known as a witcher, and he is a monster hunter that has been mutated with heightened abilities.
Casting received a mixed reception from fans, with most of the criticism being leveled at the casting of Cavill as Geralt. Cavill is best known for playing Superman, and fans of the book and video game series were concerned that he wouldn’t be able to convincingly play the role of the grizzled monster hunter.
After the first screen test of Cavill with his silver wig was released, it spawned a bunch of memes. The look was not flattering for Cavill, and it was not what fans of the series were hoping for when they saw the short video.
However, the first batch of photos have restored some faith in fans, as Cavill looks more like the Geralt that fans have come to expect. Anya Chalotra has been cast as the sorceress Yennefer, and princess Ciri is being played by Freya Allan.
Cavill also released another image on his Instagram account.
More information about the series will be released by Netflix at San Diego Comic Con on July 19. The series is expected to stream on Netflix sometime this year.