The Witcher: Blood Origin has not exactly brought with it the best reviews of the franchise. However, coming in the wake of Henry Cavill’s departure from the main series has not done the spin-off any favors. That being said, the series did land a short time at number 1 on Netflix’s TV chart, and showrunner Declan De Barra is already thinking about other branches of The Witcherverse could be next to be transferred to screen as part of the franchise.

Following the animated spin-off Nightmare of the Wolf, The Witcher: Blood Origin is the first live action series to branch off from the main series, which itself is now heading into its third season. Set 1200 years before the events of the flagship series, Blood Origin brings a whole new cast of characters to life as it tells of the events leading up to the Conjunction of the Spheres, and the creation of the first Witcher.

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Naturally, Netflix are happy to explore more of the world of The Witcher from the novels of Andrzej Sapkowski, and it seems that Blood Origins showrunner De Barra is just as keen to get into more stand-alone shows as part of The Witcher’s expansion. In an interview with Radio Times, Be Darra said:

“Sapkowski is the king of the closed ended story, the more we read of his books, the broader the tapestry of the world. So that’s the advantage of doing all these – they might be standalone pieces, but they paint another side to this world and expand it outward. That’s the fun part.”

Will The Witcher Hold Fan Interest After The Departure of Henry Cavill?

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Changing of a lead action several seasons into a series is not a common or ideal prospect for any creators to have to contemplate. The departure of Henry Cavill after season 3 of The Witcher is one of the only times that a lead character will have been recast after multiple seasons. Of course, over the years there have been franchises that have successfully managed this, including the ever changing face of The Doctor in Doctor Who, but they have tended to involve some kind of major character overhaul.

The Witcher’s biggest challenge is that replacing Henry Cavill with Liam Hemsworth as Geralt has to be as seamless as possible as in the end the character is meant to be the same. How fans react to Hemsworth’s debut could be a make-or-break moment for the franchise’s future, and is likely to draw record crowds regardless of whether opinions are good or bad.

Latest rumors have suggested that the next spin-off from the franchise could tell the story of a group of Nilfgaardian criminals known as The Rats, who have already been confirmed to feature in Henry Cavill’s third and final season of The Witcher in 2023. The future of the franchise may be about to enter a tumultuous period in the next couple of years, and only time will tell how much longer The Witcher will continue to be one of Netflix’s biggest IPs.