Earlier today, Netflix released a small teaser giving us a first look at Henry Cavill portraying Geralt of Rivia in their forthcoming series for The Witcher. And while a lot of fans have been swooning over his appearance, others have been quick to critique it — and have even compared him to other popular figures, including Legolas from The Lord of the Rings.
Videos by ComicBook.com
But one reference that keeps coming up in the discussion is Mortal Kombat, and Christopher Lambert’s portrayal of the thunder god Raiden. In the film version, Lambert doesn’t walk around that often in his traditional hat, instead letting his gray locks flow freely. And it definitely has a comparative look to Cavill’s long-haired Geralt. Check out the photo below.
And apparently we’re not the only ones thinking this way. Several folks have taken to social media to sound off on the comparison.
Wait, that was Geralt?! I’m not nearly awake enough for any of this. I thought that was old test footage of Christopher Lambert as Lord Raiden in 1995’s Mortal Kombat.
— Clever Spooky Name (@anarkE7) October 31, 2018
I saw the small video of Henry Cavill as Geralt and I thought it was a gif of Raiden from the mortal kombat movies…. Jeeze that wig is terrible
— Jules (@Ghostayami_) October 31, 2018
That first look at “Geralt” in Netflix’s The Witcher… I think he bought some Legolas Halloween outfit? Either that or a convincing 1995’s Mortal Kombat Raiden cosplay.
— HaasGaming (@HaasGaming) October 31, 2018
Cavill’s Geralt is giving me strong Mortal Kombat movie Raiden vibes… pic.twitter.com/tpgVv17K5y
— Scott Tailford (@SlashLP89) October 31, 2018
Henry Caviar as Geralt looks like Raiden from the first Mortal Kombat movie pic.twitter.com/pes3wevrwj
— ℂ𝕣𝕠𝕤𝕤𝕓𝕠𝕟𝕖☠️ (@SSBlueVegeta) October 31, 2018
Henry Cavill as Geralt from @netflix series base on @witchergame it reminds me to #ChristopherLambert as Raiden from Mortal Kombat movie. What Has Been Seen Can’t Be Unseen. #HenryCavill #Superman #Series #Netflix #witchernetflix #Witcher #Raiden #Geralt #MortalKombat pic.twitter.com/HSCzjNa7f2
— Melly Rondón (@MellyAR1983) October 31, 2018
Henry Cavill as Geralt doing his best Christopher Lambert Raiden impression. pic.twitter.com/shgBCbauZF
— Still Norm, but dead (@Bloatytoe) October 31, 2018
Henry Cavill in The Witcher series (2019) pic.twitter.com/Wj8NX9Uu46
— Bruno Araujo (@brunocracia) October 31, 2018
Of course, I couldn’t help but join in the fun, just because.
“Fine, name me someone else that can rock a video game character while wearing a wig.”
Challenge accepted. pic.twitter.com/ZHHFXS97As
— Robert “The DCD” Wolf-man (@thedcd) October 31, 2018
Needless to say, the jokes just keep on coming. But keep in mind that we’ve only seen a glimpse of what Cavill is going to do with the character. And who knows, that facial hair might just kick into overdrive.
In the meantime, if you’re feeling nostalgic, the original Mortal Kombat film is well worth a look. And yes, Lambert is great in the role. Savor the montage below!
The Witcher is set to debut on Netflix, but doesn’t have a release date. We’re estimating maybe late 2019.
