Poll: Henry Cavill is Geralt

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Apparently, Ciri's skin tone does matter in the Witcher mythos, in that it's a sign of her ancestry (something about elves), said ancestors being pale skinned. So, if Ciri's skin is changed, either her forebears have to be changed, or her backstory has to be changed.

There's a ton of stuff that they'll have to change just to accommodate a non-white Ciri. At the very least Nilfgaardians will have to be changed into whatever skin color Ciri is. And for what reason? There's really no good reason to deviate from source material other than to pander to a specific demographic or to force your own political ideology into a project. One thing is clear - the decision wasn't made because it was the best thing for the show. It was done for political reasons. And I can't help but wonder what else have they decided to change for political reasons. Because this is probably just the first change of many. May not even be the worst change.

I was secretly hoping that they'd offer the role to Emma Watson. She would have been a great Ciri IMHO.

 

[bluegate]

So now they're "minority-casting" Ciri, the character described to have pale skin and ashen hair?

Some people just can't help themselves, can they? 🤦

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

I like Henry Cavill, but he might be a bit too beefy and typically American looking for the part. Geralt has a very lean, almost emaciated, physique. We'll see, I guess.

Didn't people compared Geralt's Witcher 3 appearance to Snake from Metal Gear?

I think Geralt is much closer to Brad Pitt in Troy. Obviously ripped and meaty but not jacked like a bodybuilder or power lifter. Athletic muscle. Cavil is definitely on the bulkier side, but that looks good on his frame and it will show underneath the leather armor and furs Geralt typically wears.

Edit: Plus, he can always size down. In Immortals he had a much more Geralt-esque physique

OT: I feel pretty positively about it. While I am not a fan of most of the DC movies I don't lay that at Cavil's feet. I actually thought Man of Steel was decent and Cavil is pretty good when he's handed decent material. He's great in the new Mission Impossible for instance. Plus, as stated above, he's a fan of the games and books and it seems like he's passionate about the project.

 

[Hades]

Trying to cast a non white actress for Ciri seems weird considering her appearance is defined by the color white. White hair, white skin, with clothing.

If they did it to be more diverse then why not just introduce a character from Zerakenia? That way you got your diversity characters while you also have the chance to expand the Witcher world with info about an exotic locale, without adding in the controversy.

 

[Random Gamer]

If they did it to be more diverse then why not just introduce a character from Zerakenia? That way you got your diversity characters while you also have the chance to expand the Witcher world with info about an exotic locale, without adding in the controversy.

Or at least do this to another character, one whose ancestry doesn't matter much. Say, possibly Dandelion (if only to have him played by Donald Glover), or to pick a lesser change, make Yennefer brownish-skinned, say Middle-Eastern, since she's dark-haired and dark-eyed. Triss, of course, has to be red-headed; and I hope the oppressed redhead minority would raise havoc if her physcial appearance were to be as heavily changed as Ciri's.

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

Honestly why can't these people just have Ciri be casted with a white actress?

Same reason they didn't cast a Slavic guy as Geralt. But I guess skin tone is what matters.

In the latter case, name a Slavic actor that speaks English and can act good?

I mean, they hired Cavill.

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

So now they're "minority-casting" Ciri, the character described to have pale skin and ashen hair?

Some people just can't help themselves, can they? 🤦

I'm sure they just hired the best person for the job without regard for identity politics.

 

[Palindromemordnilap_v1legacy]

The article says they're looking for anyone who would fall under the BAME categorisation, not specifically someone black. Perhaps the idea is getting someone mixed race, to deliberately highlight the character's mixed ancestry

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

I like Henry Cavill, but he might be a bit too beefy and typically American looking for the part. Geralt has a very lean, almost emaciated, physique. We'll see, I guess.

I don't mind Cavill, and it's really good that they have someone who's familiar and passionate about the franchise, and knows the character he'll be playing. I doubt they'll go the brick shit-house physique of Superman, which I think most people here base their perception of his physique on. And that magnificent jaw of his is gonna be covered by a beard anyway. I think he's a good pick.

But Ciri, oh dear. I finally realized the fundamental difference between Europeans and Americans in this regard: Americans care about ethnic/racial representation, Europeans care about national representation. And I don't think Americans really understand the latter. By american thinking, I'm more able to relate to, say, Dominic Toretto from the Fast and Furious movies, because he's white. And maybe that's true. But he's still an american actor portraying an american character in an american film. His entire culture, mindset and background are fundamentally different from mine, since I'm finnish.

Considering the status the Witcher books have in Poland (to my understanding) and what a point of national pride they are for a country that's been shafted pretty much for its entire history, I do think it's genuinely disrespectful to the source material as well as the country to so blatantly bring an american point of view about ethnic representation to it. I can only think how wrong it would feel if Hollywood adapted something like Kalevala or the Unknown Soldier, and just switched some characters' ethnicities for no other reason than "representation".

And it's also disrespectful towards the actual ethnicities they're trying to empower, and lazy on the writers' part to just color swap a character. Why couldn't they make an original character? The Witcher universe is pretty much infinitely malleable in this regard, and the Netflix series seems to be a total standalone. Hell, they could make a major character an ofieri prince or something. Original character, new element to the franchise, new point of view, representation points a go-go. Everyone wins. But NooOoOOOOoooOOooo.

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

Makes sense.

I mean, you'd otherwise need to with somebody whiter than Geralt, and they cast Henry Cavill for that. Not a lot of breathing space going whiter than that.

 

[Trunkage]

Personally, I hope they have loads of sex scenes, but instead of having sex with him all the women just give him cards with erotic drawings on them and he goes and jacks off in a corner.

Is he facing the wall or into the room? I'm not really sure of the etiquette.

Censors hate a flaccid dick, let alone an erect one. Sperm is probably fake too. Into the wall only

 

[lionsprey]

I like Henry Cavill, but he might be a bit too beefy and typically American looking for the part. Geralt has a very lean, almost emaciated, physique. We'll see, I guess.

I don't mind Cavill, and it's really good that they have someone who's familiar and passionate about the franchise, and knows the character he'll be playing. I doubt they'll go the brick shit-house physique of Superman, which I think most people here base their perception of his physique on. And that magnificent jaw of his is gonna be covered by a beard anyway. I think he's a good pick.

But Ciri, oh dear. I finally realized the fundamental difference between Europeans and Americans in this regard: Americans care about ethnic/racial representation, Europeans care about national representation. And I don't think Americans really understand the latter. By american thinking, I'm more able to relate to, say, Dominic Toretto from the Fast and Furious movies, because he's white. And maybe that's true. But he's still an american actor portraying an american character in an american film. His entire culture, mindset and background are fundamentally different from mine, since I'm finnish.

Considering the status the Witcher books have in Poland (to my understanding) and what a point of national pride they are for a country that's been shafted pretty much for its entire history, I do think it's genuinely disrespectful to the source material as well as the country to so blatantly bring an american point of view about ethnic representation to it. I can only think how wrong it would feel if Hollywood adapted something like Kalevala or the Unknown Soldier, and just switched some characters' ethnicities for no other reason than "representation".

And it's also disrespectful towards the actual ethnicities they're trying to empower, and lazy on the writers' part to just color swap a character. Why couldn't they make an original character? The Witcher universe is pretty much infinitely malleable in this regard, and the Netflix series seems to be a total standalone. Hell, they could make a major character an ofieri prince or something. Original character, new element to the franchise, new point of view, representation points a go-go. Everyone wins. But NooOoOOOOoooOOooo.

i can see the Ciri thing getting really big in Poland. from what i have understood the alt-right is very big in Poland and this is exactly the kind of thing they like to moan about. would not surprise me if it even led to a boycott of Netflix in Poland

 

[Hawki]

i can see the Ciri thing getting really big in Poland. from what i have understood the alt-right is very big in Poland and this is exactly the kind of thing they like to moan about. would not surprise me if it even led to a boycott of Netflix in Poland

Depressingly enough, I could see that happening as well.

But Ciri, oh dear. I finally realized the fundamental difference between Europeans and Americans in this regard: Americans care about ethnic/racial representation, Europeans care about national representation.

...so unless they cast a Pole, Poles are going to be pissed either way?

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

...so unless they cast a Pole, Poles are going to be pissed either way?

I don't think that's what he's saying. They take great pride in those books and the success of the games. They probably won't appreciate Americans fucking it up by inserting their stupid racial politics into it.

 

[PsychedelicDiamond]

i can see the Ciri thing getting really big in Poland. from what i have understood the alt-right is very big in Poland and this is exactly the kind of thing they like to moan about. would not surprise me if it even led to a boycott of Netflix in Poland

The alt right is basically just the same old right up to the same old tricks and yes, rightists are currently running Poland. So they may or may not be angry about that but everyone else should have some perspective. Netflix Witcher is an american production. The overwhelming majority of Poles are white. They've always been white. And the majority of them will still be white when we all die. Same goes for countries like Britain, France and Germany, for the record, even if slightly less so.

America, though, has a significant nonwhite populations and when watching an american production people should get used to it being reflected therein. Categorically refusing to cast nonwhite people excludes dozens of potentially perfectly qualified actors. I think acting is just about the only field of work where you can refuse to hire someone based on looks alone. It's clear that there are specific roles that require a specific look, no ifs and buts about it, but when casting fictional characters for a story set in a fictional world I think there's good reason to take some creative liberties if that's what it takes to include some actors of color.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

Considering how there's been pretty much zero backlash over Cavill's casting, I get the feeling Ciri's isn't really about "erasure of Poles." Like freaking clockwork

 

[SupahEwok]

Considering how there's been pretty much zero backlash over Cavill's casting, I get the feeling Ciri's isn't really about "erasure of Poles." Like freaking clockwork

Are we gonna complain about a popular Western actor taking a minority's role?

No?

Poles are their own ethnic group.

First page.

Got ya covered fam

 

[vallorn]

Considering how there's been pretty much zero backlash over Cavill's casting, I get the feeling Ciri's isn't really about "erasure of Poles." Like freaking clockwork

Are we gonna complain about a popular Western actor taking a minority's role?

No?

Poles are their own ethnic group.

First page.

Got ya covered fam

Goddamnit yanks, stop being so racist towards the Poles and Roma.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

Considering how there's been pretty much zero backlash over Cavill's casting, I get the feeling Ciri's isn't really about "erasure of Poles." Like freaking clockwork

Are we gonna complain about a popular Western actor taking a minority's role?

No?

Poles are their own ethnic group.

First page.

Got ya covered fam

Congrats, you have ONE instance. Overall, there's basically been NOTHING about Cavill's casting. Furthermore, let's state the obvious: GERALT ISN'T POLISH. No one in The Witcher is Polish; The Continent is not Poland, it's a fantasy world that, at best, takes cues from Slavic mythology, but even then the series isn't folklore, it's fiction. Things can change and change is actually a good thing, because copy-pasting the source material is the most boring way to adapt.

 

[bastardofmelbourne]

Your thoughts?

I think Cavill's a great choice. He's a good actor who was underused in the DCEU films, where his job was mostly to stand around looking both perpetually gloomy and incredibly ripped.

Are we gonna complain about a popular Western actor taking a minority's role?

No?

Poles are their own ethnic group.

It's never as much of a big deal when they're the same skin color. Jewish actors play non-Jews, Americans play Russians, British people play Australians, and African-Americans play Africans of any given nationality, despite being more American than African. The actual nationality or ethnicity of the actor is not nearly as controversial as whether they have the correct skin colour and facial features.

The concern with race-casting is usually that it breaks suspension of disbelief. You make a film about ancient Egyptians [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exodus:_Gods_and_Kings] with a bunch of tanned white dudes, they don't really come off as genuine ancient Egyptians. Like all things concerning suspension of disbelief, it's going to vary from person to person. I wasn't at all bothered by Idris Elba playing Heimdall, because the Asgardians are a race of semi-magical immortal aliens, so them having a black guy or two isn't beyond the realm of possibility. I was similarly unbothered by the casting in Gods of Egypt - despite it being literally a bunch of Egyptians being played by white people - because Gods of Egypt was an intentionally ridiculous film where the Earth was literally flat, the Underworld was literally just the opposite facing of the world-disc, and Ra literally pulled the sun across the sky with chains from his celestial yacht while taking half an hour every night to shoot lasers at a giant space worm.

So the question isn't really "is Henry Cavill a genuine Pole," it's "can Henry Cavill convincingly play a Pole," or at least a Polish-inspired fictional character. And while I think he's not even going to bother with the accent - the video games certainly didn't - I think he can do it pretty well.

On a different note - the Ciri thing, I'm on the fence about. I mean, she hasn't actually been cast yet, and if they're adapting the novels she'll likely be a child, not the adult we're familiar with from the video games.

As to what her skin colour looks like - it can actually make sense for her to stand out as somewhat foreign or exotic within a cast of white Caucasians, because she's the result of centuries-long eugenics experiment performed by elf wizards trying to replicate the powers of an ancient elven sorceress. In the books and the games, it's just assumed that Lara Dorren - and the elves in general - were all white, but that's hardly set in stone. Maybe Lara Dorren was ambiguously brown, and the royal line of Cintra inherited the skin colour thanks to elves manipulating their heritage to keep Dorren's blood as pure as possible. (Which would certainly be an ironic twist on the usual context of eugenics and blood purity.)

I can actually see them casting a Eurasian actress in the role in order to get that effect. But I'll reserve judgement for when the casting actually comes through.