Ill-Advised Witcher Ad Campaign Really Wants You to Remember Henry Cavill’s Not Gone Yet

Although we’ve solely simply acquired entry to the primary half of Henry Cavill’s swansong as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s Witcher adaptation, we’ve identified for a great whereas but the actor was on his approach out of the Continent for good. But Netflix is, bizarrely, utilizing that reality to lure viewers again—whereas feeling prefer it’s negging its personal casting alternative within the course of.

To rejoice the primary quantity of Witcher’s third season hitting the streaming platform final week, Netflix launched a world advertising and marketing push that, uh, basically entails dragging incoming Geralt of Rivia, Liam Hemsworth. Projected billboard campaigns showing in areas throughout the UK merely stating “Yes, he’s still Geralt in season 3,” in reference to the truth that Henry Cavill hasn’t fairly hung his swords up on the present but, have drawn ire not only for re-reminding folks of the extremely unpopular resolution to re-cast The Witcher’s main star, however due to how dismissive the billboards really feel concerning the resolution itself within the first place.

It’s not the primary time current Netflix advertising and marketing’s tounge-in-cheek method to self-awareness has backfired—bear in mind its “Animation is cinema” billboards on the top of the stream’s push to drop and lower animated initiatives from its slates?—however there’s something particularly absurd concerning the Witcher scenario. Of course, filming meant that in some unspecified time in the future the streamer was going to have to get it out early that Liam Hemsworth was operating round in a white wig and leathers as a substitute of Henry Cavill, so we have been all the time going to know upfront about Geralt’s recasting. But combining the controversy of that preliminary announcement—little has been stated formally concerning the causes for Cavill’s exit from the collection, whereas rumors have been left to unfold like wildfire—with the truth that Witcher followers have had to sit with the information for thus lengthy Netflix thought it obligatory to re-poke the bear is, suffice it to say, happening a bit weirdly.

And that’s even earlier than you get to the actual fact the marketing campaign feels bizarrely petty in the direction of Liam Hemsworth who… Netflix employed to exchange Cavill within the first place! What was the necessity to put him within the crossfire of already irritated followers, anyway? Netflix is much from the primary, and might be removed from the final, large behemoth of an leisure firm wielding the language of fandom to seem relatable on this method—they usually’re removed from the primary or the final to have it again fireplace and simply make them look extremely out of contact, both.

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