The Witcher Anime Director Explains Geralt VA’s Surprise Return

Netflix’s The Witcher series will expand further into anime next month, with the new feature film, The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep. Alongside franchise vets like Joey Batey (Jaskier), and Anya Chalotra (Yennefer), the new movie is also bringing back veteran voice actor Doug Cockle to replace Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia. Cockle voices Geralt in all three (soon to be four) of CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher video games. Sirens of the Deep is directed by Kang Hei Chul, who cannot believe he landed Cockle to voice Geralt in the film.

During an interview with Animation Scoop, Kang Hei Chul addressed Doug Cockle’s casting in Sirens of the Deep. “I remember when Doug first delivered his read in the recording studio – it blew all of our minds,” the director began. “All of our concerns and stresses about finding Geralt’s voice completely vanished.”

Doug Cockle Is “Irreplaceable” as Geralt

While you might not know his face, to many, Doug Cockle’s voice is synonymous with Geralt. The voice actor gave Geralt an American accent in the video games to truly differentiate him from the rest of the characters and embody the complex psyche of the mutated Witcher. Chul instantly recognized Cockle’s talent during production and described the actor as “irreplaceable” as Geralt. “What did I enjoy the most? He was undeniably perfect – irreplaceable, in fact.”

“He is truly one of a kind,” Kang Hei Chul continued, smattering praise on Doug Cockle’s performance. “During the recording sessions, he naturally took the lead among us because he understood the character in every sense. His masterful acting not only brought Geralt to life but also inspired me in ways I hadn’t expected. He didn’t simply deliver lines; he captured Geralt’s inner struggle, composed judgment, and even his warmth and humor that subtly emerge from time to time.”

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The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep Releases This February

The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep transforms one of author Andrzej Sapkowski’s (who created the world of The Witcher) early short stories, titled “A Little Sacrifice,” into a feature-length film. In the short story, Geralt is tasked by a local lord to contact a mermaid whom the lord has fallen in love with, to convince her to leave the sea and marry him on land.

However, Sirens of the Deep is greatly expanding the story. The latest trailer for the anime movie revealed just how much has changed during the adaptation process. The official description for Sirens of the Deep reads, “Hired to probe seaside village attacks, mutant monster hunter Geralt unravels an age-old conflict between humans and sea people that threatens war between kingdoms. Aided by allies, he must solve the mystery before hostilities escalate.”

The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep streams on Netflix on February 11th. Much like Nightmare of the Wolf (released in 2021), Sirens of the Deep is part of the live-action Witcher canon, despite the casting confusion. Following Sirens of the Deep, The Witcher franchise will continue with Season 4 of the core show. Liam Hemsworth is stepping in for Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia for the show’s final two seasons. No release date has been revealed for Season 4 yet.