Well before Liam Hemsworth took over for Henry Cavill in Netflix’s The Witcher, another performer replaced the Man of Steel actor as Geralt of Rivia. A legendary witcher of the School of the Wolf, Geralt is the white-haired protagonist of The Witcher series, a fantasy drama based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s bestselling novels. Notably, the show also pulls inspiration from the beloved Witcher action role-playing video game series, which Cavill was a fan of long before landing the live-action role. Although Hemsworth has replaced Cavill for The Witcher season 4, Cavill has become synonymous with Geralt.

The four-season Netflix series, which will culminate in a fifth and final outing, isn’t the only TV depiction of Geralt and the Continent. In 2021, an animated origin story, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, hit screens, followed by a live-action prequel, The Witcher: Blood Origin, in 2022. Needless to say, the world of The Witcher is incredibly vast, extending far beyond the story of the magically enhanced monster hunter Geralt. The Witcher‘s dark fantasy-meets-horror tone has gone on to impress audiences and critics alike and cemented Geralt’s status as a genre icon.

Doug Cockle Will Play Geralt In The Witcher: Sirens Of The Deep

Cockle Also Voices Geralt In The Witcher Video Game Series

Set in the Netflix show’s universe, The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep stars Doug Cockle as Geralt of Rivia. The second installment in Netflix’s anime-inspired The Witcher fare, the feature-length film will be based on one of Sapkowski’s short stories, “A Little Sacrifice” from Sword of Destiny. Since The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf chronicles the origin story of Geralt’s mentor and fellow witcher Vesemir (Theo James), the previous animated installment didn’t have to worry about casting an adult Geralt — though Harry Hissrich briefly voices a younger version of the character.

Of course, Doug Cockle is no stranger to The Witcher‘s cast of characters. Known for his voice-over roles in video games, the actor’s most iconic character is Geralt, who he voiced in 2007’s first-ever video game adaptation, The Witcher. Since then, Cockle has voiced Geralt in the English dub of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings as well as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. For his work in the latter, Cockle won the Golden Joystick Award for Best Gaming Performance, making his portrayal of the titular monster hunter as iconic as Henry Cavill’s live-action one.

Why Henry Cavill Is Not Playing Geralt In The Witcher’s New Animated Movie

Netflix Called Upon The Video Games’ Geralt After Cavill’s Sudden Exit

Even now, it’s not entirely clear why Henry Cavill left The Witcher after season 3. Although unsubstantiated, reports of on-set chaos have cropped up time and again, pointing toward Cavill’s demeanor as a problem. Other reports suggest that the Geralt actor took issue with The Witcher‘s creative direction. After all, the actor, who actively campaigned to get the role, is a huge fan of the source material’s lore and story. Word of Cavill’s departure broke in 2022 — well before The Witcher season 3’s ending. Although The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep was announced in 2021, Cavill’s sudden departure opened the door to Cockle’s casting.

Doug Cockle As Geralt In Sirens Of The Deep Makes It Even More Exciting

The Casts Of The Witcher TV Series & Video Games Crossover In Sirens Of The Deep

So far, only a few cast members have been announced for Netflix’s The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep. Aside from Cockle’s Geralt, the series will also feature Joey Batey as Jaskier and Anya Chalotra as Yennefer of Vengerberg. Since Chalotra and Batey play characters in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of The Witcher, Sirens of the Deep serves as a kind of “worlds colliding” type of project. With Cockle starring as Geralt, the animated film provides a kind of fun crossover moment between The Witcher TV series and video game timelines, which is sure to excite fans of both The Witcher projects.

The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep is slated for a 2024 release.