Angel Shaw is a Lead Writer and Peer Mentor on ScreenRant’s New TV team, covering new-release TV shows across all major streaming platforms. She has been a writer with ScreenRant since 2022 and specializes in Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and fantasy.
Angel holds a bachelor’s degree in language interpreting and is passionate about all things culture and communication — especially in how it relates to popular media throughout history (from Shakespeare to Friends to Game of Thrones).
Netflix’s The Witcher is at it again. Though the series was initially promising, it took a sharp downward turn after that widely popular first installment. When season 2 leaned into changes from Andrzej Sapkowski’s books, the controversy around The Witcher really took off. If season 3 was any improvement, it went largely unnoticed since the episodes were preceded by the announcement that Henry Cavill was leaving the show.
The Witcher season 4 was the most controversial of all, since this was our introduction to Liam Hemsworth’s version of Geralt of Rivia. In truth, the actor did a fair job with the character. Had Hemsworth been Geralt from the beginning, we might not have ever had a problem with it. However, the years of disaster, followed by the recasting of the central character, meant the whole of The Witcher season 4 was set up for failure.
Now, the bizarre choices from Netflix regarding its Witcher franchise have continued. The streaming giant previously announced that we would get another The Witcher spinoff, this time centered around the Rats. The TV project was cancelled, but Netflix surprised us all by quietly releasing a film version alongside The Witcher season 4. The Rats: A Witcher tale notably featured The Expendables actor Dolph Lundgren as Brehen, a witcher who teams up with the Rats. Unfortunately, his performance got virtually no attention.
Dolph Lundgren’s Character Was Wasted In The Witcher’s Rats Spinoff
If you had no idea that Lundgren joined the Witcher franchise, you aren’t the only one. The Rats: A Witcher Tale went under the radar since Netflix put absolutely no effort into promoting the film. Trailers, interviews, and all the other standard promotional material never happened. It was essentially splapped onto the platform at the same time as the already controversial The Witcher 4.
It’s a true shame, since Lundgren gave a predictably excellent performance. His character deserved attention, especially since his adventure with the Rats set up and enhanced the story of The Witcher season 4. Netflix didn’t seem to care about that, however, and Lundgren was set up for failure.
Netflix’s The Witcher Franchise Continues To Set Its Stars Up For Failure
Lundgren’s character could have been a great addition to the larger Witcher franchise, had he been used correctly. Brehen formed a touching bond with Christelle Elwin’s Mistle, which establishes a poetic link between Ciri and her season 4 lover. They both had adopted witchers as father figures. Unfortunately, there’s no room to praise Lundgren’s completely ignored role in The Witcher.
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This isn’t the first time that Netflix has abused these stars. Cavill is widely accepted as the perfect Geralt, but Netflix’s The Witcher blew it, resulting in a swift departure. Hemsworth could really have been great in the role, but the controversy Netflix itself created meant many wouldn’t give him a chance. Now, The Witcher has once again failed an actor who deserved respect. Said and done, it’s likely a good thing that this series is almost over.
249 7.9/10 6/10 The Witcher 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-MA Drama Action Fantasy Adventure Release Date December 20, 2019 Network Netflix Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich Directors Stephen Surjik, Charlotte Brändström, Edward Bazalgette, Loni Peristere, Louise Hooper, Bola Ogun, Alex Garcia Lopez, Gandja Monteiro, Sarah O’Gorman Writers Haily Hall, Clare Higgins, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Jenny Klein, Tania Lotia 8 Images Close Cast See All Henry Cavill Geralt of Rivia Anya Chalotra Yennefer of Vengerberg
Franchise(s) The Witcher Genres Drama, Action, Fantasy, Adventure Powered by Expand Collapse
