The Witcher Let Henry Cavill Choose Roach Casting

Geralt of Rivia may be a mutant born for the sole purpose of slaying monsters and collecting coin, [...]

Geralt of Rivia may be a mutant born for the sole purpose of slaying monsters and collecting coin, but there are a few things he has a soft spot for in his emotionless heart, including Roach, his trusty horse. Of course, casting a horse as Roach is not nearly as important as casting characters like Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri, Triss, and others. However, Netflix was well aware of the character's importance. As showrunner Lauren Hissrich points out, anyone who has read The Witcher books knows that Geralt and Roach have a very close and special relationship. This is also obvious to anyone who played the video game series by CD Projekt Red. The life of a witcher is a life of isolation. No matter how helpful they are, people are wary of witchers, and as a result they are pariahs. So, a lot of times as Geralt travels from place to place looking for work, he has nobody but Roach. That's why the horse is such an important character.

That said, according to the aforementioned Hissrich, Netflix actually let Geralt's actor -- Henry Cavill -- cast Roach. Hissrich points out that it was important to Cavill, as an actor, to have a horse that he felt a bond with. And as a result, he got to cast Roach.

In the grand scheme of things, this is unlikely to have any tangible impact on the quality of show, but it's good to hear that Netflix and co. let Cavill make the decision. Not only for the aforementioned reasons, but because Cavill is a super fan of the series, and obviously wouldn't take lightly something as important as casting Roach.

The Witcher -- via Netflix -- is set to release on December 20, 2019. For more news, rumors, leaks, media, and information on the show, be sure to peep all of our previous and extensive coverage of the series by clicking right here. Meanwhile, as always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think or, alternatively, hit me up on Twitter @Tyler_Fischer_ and let me know over there. Are you excited to see the dynamic between Geralt and Roach later this month?

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