For the first time since Henry Cavill’s departure, Netflix put out a new piece ofThe Witchercontent, and its reception was not terrible, but not as good as audiences might have hoped. In 2019, Netflix began adaptingAndrzej Sapkowski’s fantasy book series,The Witcher,which followsmonster hunter Geralt as he defeats beasts and builds bonds with magical people.Originally, the lead role was held by Cavill, who earned heaps of praise for his portrayal and dedication to book accuracy. However, in 2022, the actor exited the series, and it is unclear how the franchise will fare.
The process of Cavill’s exit has been quite long and definitely arduous. Not only were viewers upset by Cavill’s departure, but they were also disappointed with his chosen replacement, Liam Hemsworth.SinceThe Witcherseason 3 ended in the summer of 2023, audiences have been anxiously waiting for the franchise’s next move, doubtful that Hemsworth will live up to the high expectations set by Cavill. Fortunately, though, the switch-over has not been too sudden, as Netflix releasedThe Witcher: Sirens of the Deepin February 2025, months beforeThe Witcherseason 4’s release.
The Witcher: Sirens Of The Deep Only Has A 59% Score On Rotten Tomatoes
What Critics & Audiences Have Said About The Witcher: Sirens Of The Deep
The Witcher: Sirens of the Deepmay have distractedThe Witcherviewers from the impending casting change, but unfortunately, it did not wow anyone.The Witcher: Sirens of the Deepis an animated filmthat follows Sapkowski’s short story, “A Little Sacrifice.” In the tale,Geralt is hired to investigate a series of attacks in a seaside village. He quickly discovers that the violence is connected to a centuries-old conflict between the village’s humans and the sea people residing under the water’s surface. Aside from Geralt, the story features Jaskier, Yennefer, and a number of new characters.
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The Witcher: Sirens of the Deepreceived less-than-stellar ratings from both critics and audiences. Critics gave the film a 59% on Rotten Tomatoes, with many claiming thatthe story adds very little toThe Witcheruniverse. Audiences were even more brutal, offering a 39% rating.The majority of complaints had to do with the movie diverging from Sapkowski’s source materialand the story itself not being particularly interesting or complex. While some found the movie to be an enjoyable fantasy watch, only a rare few reviewers found it to be more than just good.
Why The Witcher’s New Animated Movie Was Not As Good As Nightmare Of The Wolf
What Nightmare Of The Wolf Did Right
Theunderwhelming performance ofThe Witcher: Sirens of the Deepmay come as a surprise to some considering how well the previousThe Witchermovie did. In 2021, Netflix releasedThe Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf,which tells the origin story of Geralt’s mentor, Vesemir. This movie received incredibly positive ratings, with a 100% critics score, alongside an 83% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. While opinions onThe Witcherfranchise have changed over the years, it seems pretty clear thatNightmare of the Wolfbrought something thatSirens of the Deepsimply could not achieve.
The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep Ending Explained
Screen Rant breaks down everything you need to understand from The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep ending.
Based on the premises alone,Nightmare of the WolfsurpassesSirens of the Deepbecause of its story. Rather than focusing on Geralt and characters that audiences already know and love,Nightmare of the Wolftakes place in a completely different era with a protagonist who brings the same action as Geralt, but with a drastically new personality. This freshness likely would have helpedSirens of the Deep.Furthermore,Nightmare of the Wolfbuckles down on the elements ofThe Witcherthat work best: gore, violence, and deep themes of moralityand moving on from the past.
Henry Cavill Not Playing Geralt Was Not The Problem With The Witcher’s New Movie
The Witcher Has Far Bigger Problems Than Cavill’s Exit
BecauseSirens of the Deephas come in the midst of Cavill’s replacement, many may be wondering if the lack of Cavill has anything to do with the movie’s failure. The answer would be no. AlthoughCavill does not voice Geralt in this film, Hemsworth doesn’t either. Instead,Sirens of the Deepstars Doug Cockle, who voiced Geralt inThe Witchervideo games. In fact, many were quite happy with Cockle’s return. In this way,Sirens of the Deepfailed because of its storytelling and style, not due to its cast.
This increasing frustration with the franchise could be making viewer reviews even harsher than usual, especially when Netflix continues making the same mistakes (i.e diverging from source material.)
To be fair, though, Cavill’s exit could be playing some part in audiences' dislike ofSirens of the Deep.In general,viewers seem to be growing more and more disdainful of Netflix’sThe Witcherfranchisewith each passing season. This can be seen throughThe Witcher’saudience scores on Rotten Tomatoes, which started out strong with an 88% in season 1 toa dismal 19% in season 3.This increasing frustration with the franchise could be making viewer reviews even harsher than usual, especially when Netflix continues making the same mistakes (i.e diverging from source material.)
Sirens Of The Deep Reminds Us How Tough The Witcher Season 4’s Job Is
The Future Of The Witcher Explained
Ultimately, the reception ofSirens of the Deepacts as a reminder thatThe Witcheris in a precarious place at the moment. With Cavill gone and audiences already feeling disappointed with the franchise,The Witcherseason 4 must make some big changes to impress its audience later this year. It is not only up to Hemsworth, but the showrunners as well, to bring the magic back intoThe Witcher.This means listening to viewers' concerns and making the appropriate changes. Otherwise,The Witchermay not have a fanbase left after season 4.
Of course, it would be unwise to jump to any conclusionsaboutThe Witcherseason 4. As far as audiences know, the new season could completely blow viewers away. Hemsworth could completely nail the role and revive fans' excitement. If that is the case, thenThe Witchermight be able to make up for its past wrongdoings, and end the series on a strong note after seasons 4 and 5. On the other hand, ifThe Witchercontinues going down the road it is currently on, then spinoffs likeSirens of the Deepmay stop production completely.
