Henry Cavill seems able to do no wrong as far as fan perception – and ultimately their reception – of his image as Superman. That said, his performance as Geralt of Rivia on Netflix’s The Witcher isn’t as bulletproof as the Man of Tomorrow.
He talked to Vanity Fair about the criticisms and looked back on the last season which is in the rearview. Cavill said he was prepared for negative feedback because he understood the show wouldn’t have the benefit of Geralt’s inner monologue as the books do.
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“I think any of those criticisms, they often lie in things like I was saying – we don’t have the advantage of a long involved conversation or dialogue with Geralt, so they are criticisms which I think I was prepared for,” Cavill said.
He continued, “So for me, it’s about seeing that, understanding it, and working out how I can do my job better within the framework provided, [how to] appease and make those people feel comfortable that I do actually understand this character – and love this character just as much as they do.”
Interestingly, the Man of Steel star revealed he combs Reddit for reviews and opinions which is fitting for a guy that’s an avid and admitted shut-in gamer.
“For me, it’s vital to go about and read—I’m on all the Reddit forums. I’m reading all the reviews. I’m literally trying to get everyone’s information,” he said, adding how much it all fuels him.
“Some of it is not useful, and other criticisms are incredibly useful,” said Cavill. “I take it all in, and I look forward to bringing it even closer and closer to [The Witcher author Andrzej] Sapkowski’s writing.”
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On Metacritic, The Witcher gets an average score of 5.3 from critics and 7.4 from viewers. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 67% approval rating from critics and a whopping 92% average score from audiences.
Additionally, the show and Cavill have a fan in Andrzej Sapkowski. The Witcher author told People several months ago he “was more than happy with Henry Cavill’s appearance as the Witcher.”
He added Cavill is “a real professional. Just as Viggo Mortensen gave his face to Aragorn in Lord of the Rings, so Henry gave his to Geralt — and it shall be forever so.”
Henry Cavill is expected to return to work on The Witcher in August. Production was halted over coronavirus. Season two reportedly films under the title “Mysterious Monsters.”