“It sucks to see all the hard work put into something tainted”: The Witcher Writer Blamed X-Men ‘97 Creator Beau DeMayo for Creating ‘False Narrative’ After Henry Cavill’s Exit
Fans were shocked and surprised when Henry Cavill, beloved as Geralt of Rivia, announced that he would be leaving the Netflix series The Witcher. This announcement came shortly after Beau DeMayo, a former writer for the show, revealed that the writing team didn’t have a fondness for the original books upon which the show is based.
Cavill’s own athletic abilities and commitment to staying fit helped him portray the role of the monster hunter convincingly. He brought Geralt’s stoicism and dry humor to life with his acting. These traits are some of the reasons why the Superman star has become a fan favorite for the role. Now, after his departure, Liam Hemsworth will be playing Geralt of Rivia in season 4 and beyond.
The Witcher Writer Accuses X-Men ’97 Creator For Henry Cavill’s Exit
For months, fans have speculated about the reasons behind Henry Cavill‘s departure. Recently, Netflix finally allowed Witcher writers to speak publicly. Two writers (Javier Grillo-Marxuach and Troy Dangerfield), gave diplomatic responses, focusing on their passion for the project.
However, Matthew D’Ambrosio took a more aggressive stance. He attacked fans and Beau DeMayo, calling the latter’s claims as “bullsh*t.” The now-deleted X post reads (via Forbes):
“It’s pretty Cool and Fun to try and talk about how much you love your job and then get replies like this cause some a*shole you used to work with made up a bunch of lies to your fanbase to cover up how he got fired for being an asshole and now that’s the narrative. It sucks to see all the hard work put into something tainted because of a bullsh*t narrative. I played the games before I read the books AND THEN I got the opportunity of a lifetime to work on the sort of show I’ve always wanted to be on. And guess what? It’s still a dream job!”
D’Ambrosio said he’s a fan of the games and books, but that doesn’t really answer if the writers get the source material. This came after DeMayo’s accusations offered an explanation: the showrunners might not be fans of the Witcher universe themselves. In that same week, it came out that Cavill would no longer play Geralt.
This made a lot of people angry at the writers, feeling like the show had strayed too far from the books and games. And many used the report about the writers not liking the source material to explain why the 40-year-old left.
The Witcher‘s Boss Also Defended the Writers with her Response
Lauren Hissrich, the show’s boss, also spoke up. She seemed professional, but pointing out X-Men ’97 creator’s worst episodes seemingly felt like she was trying to change the subject. Speaking to TechRadar, the 45-year-old went on to say:
“I have great respect for Beau and the episodes he wrote! The striga episode is one of my favorites. He wrote the one where people came to Kaer Morhen and Eskel died, which had a lot of backlash, but he was brave in telling the story he wanted to tell. I respect that. I’ve never mocked the books. The books are my entire livelihood. I have a great relationship with Mr. Sapkowski, and writers rooms are sacred and safe supportive spaces. Don’t believe everything you read.”
The way The Witcher writers handled the controversy was a bit all over the place. Some defended passionately, while others got aggressive. It shows there’s a gap between the writers and a big chunk of the fans.
Watch The Witcher on Netflix.
