REPORT: Netflix’s The Witcher Season 3 Halts Production

The Witcher Season 3 might have to hold off on tossing any coins to star Henry Cavill, who, according to a report, has contracted COVID-19.

Production on the third season of the hit Netflix series has paused, according to The Witcher fan site Redanian Intelligence, which claims that its sources confirm Cavill’s positive test for the pervasive virus, thereby sidelining the main character Geralt of Rivia. The report details how filming scheduled for Monday, July 25 mysteriously did not take place, leading to initial rumors of a halted production. While there is obviously no good time for a major series to abruptly pause, this particular instance arrives during the filming for a fan-awaited, physically demanding battle sequence.

The production-halted sequence, called the Thanedd Coup, stems from author Andrzej Sapkowski’s source material, specifically the novel Time of Contempt. The incident thrusts Geralt in the middle of a covert war between two mage factions. Indeed, when Geralt is given a consequential offer from the mage Vilgefortz (played by Mahesh Jadu on the show) to the cause of the forces of Nilfgaard against the Northern Kingdoms, his declaration of neutrality is not well-received. Consequently, a supposed conclave among the Brotherhood of Sorcerers escalates to disastrous proportions to a grand battle between Geralt and Vilgefortz; one that does not end well for the former.

Unfortunately, the reported COVID case is not the first piece of disappointing news regarding Henry Cavill in just the last week. That’s because the former Superman star was expected to make an appearance at San Diego Comic-Con for Warner Bros.’ Hall H panel for its DC Extended Universe lineup. Specifically, those expectations centered on the widely believed theory that Cavill was going to reprise his superhero role for a future DCEU offering. However, the panel came and went without Cavill’s presence, disappointing fans who still retain high regard for his performances in 2013’s Man of Steel, 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and 2017’s Justice League.

Despite Cavill’s Comic-Con absence, an imminently debuting DCEU star (and prospective onscreen rival) in Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson had nothing but praise for Cavill. “Henry is a buddy and he is a phenomenal Superman,” he said. “He is a phenomenal Superman and Henry Cavill is the Superman of our generation with respect to the other Supermans of the past. Every time I see him, we have some tequila and I say ‘This guy is Superman.’ My longtime business partner Dany Garcia has been a passionate advocate for Henry Cavill and his career for a very, very, very long time.”

While Cavill’s last Superman appearance occurred in 2017’s Joss Whedon-pinch-directed Justice League (not counting Zack Snyder’s extended 2021 redux), The Witcher represented a major franchise transition. The fantasy series, which debuted on December 20, 2019, became a pop culture phenomenon and a prominent elevating platform for co-stars Anya Chalotra, Freya Allen and especially Joey Batey, whose role as traveling troubadour Jaskier led the song “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher” to inspire myriad memes. The show’s second season hit Netflix on December 17, 2021.

The Witcher Season 3 does not have a release date, and it remains to be seen if it will be affected by this delay.