Summary
- Perfecting The Witcher is no easy task, as it requires considerable effort to create even a single fight scene due to the numerous characters and magical elements involved.
- The show’s intricate makeup, VFX work, props, choreography, and set designs all contribute to the overall realism and coherence of the fantastical world.
- The impressive cosplay video demonstrates that it is not impossible to replace Henry Cavill as Geralt in the show, as long as Liam Hemsworth can capture the essence of the character like the cosplayer did.
A new cosplay video captures the essence of The Witcher just as well as Netflix does. In Netflix’s take on the show, Geralt of Rivia spends his days wandering the world and destroying monsters, but the story eventually takes him in a new direction. Faced with the need to protect a young woman named Ciri, Geralt needs to find allies to help him keep her safe from far-off lands that would use her for magical schemes. With magic at her fingertips, Ciri eventually becomes a warrior, which leads to countless fights. Given that the story takes place in a fantasy world, special effects are an essential element to get right for all of The Witcher‘s characters.
A group of cosplayers led by maul_cosplay on Instagram have proven that it doesn’t take Netflix’s resources to produce an incredible fight in the show. Check out the cosplay video below:
Beginning with Geralt and Ciri training in a simple sword fight, the actors quickly raise the stakes as Ciri lashes out against him. The video features impeccable make-up work, excellent acting, and special effects work with visuals and audio.
The Witcher Is Hard To Get Right
While the cosplayers produced a perfect replication of Geralt and Ciri fighting, it should be noted that perfecting the show is not easy. With so many characters and magical elements, it takes considerable effort to create a single seemingly simple fight scene. There is a reason that The Witcher season 4 will likely take until late 2024 to be released, alongside the current Hollywood guild strikes.
Nearly every character in the Netflix fantasy show requires an enormous amount of makeup to look relatively coherent in their fantastical world. Many wield magic, which means countless hours of work for VFX teams, and even fights without magic require props, choreography, and trained performers. The setting also needs ample work, given that the medieval aesthetic requires designed sets and costumes that can match the era.
It took 12 creative members to produce even this short clip, which shows just how much work it can take to make the show look realistic. That is one of the problems that can come from Liam Hemsworth replacing Henry Cavill as Geralt in season 4. With so many years of work to get Geralt right, the show could be completely upended if Hemsworth fails to play the perfect Geralt. Yet, given how exceptionally the cosplayer portrayed Geralt, there can be some renewed hope that replacing Geralt in The Witcher is not impossible.
Source: maul_cosplay/Instagram