A previous series director for The Witcher on Netflix has addressed the reason Henry Cavill walked away from future seasons.

Cavill’s departure from the character of Geralt was highly unexpected, especially given the actor’s immense passion and love for the book and game series. While Henry Cavill’s departure caused disappointment everywhere, it also started a wave of conspiracy theories about why he left the show in the first place. Some speculated that it was because the show had made several changes to the source material, so much so that Cavill couldn’t agree to continue if he didn’t get closer to the original story.

Fortunately, rumors and fan theories can presumably be dismissed, as one of the show’s directors, Marc Jobst, recently spoke to Screen Rant and gave his thoughts on why Cavill left.

jobst said: “Henry has done three seasons, these are demanding productions to do, you know, they are huge. Henry pulls off every single one of his stunts, he doesn’t even allow a hand… You’re working with an amazing athlete, first and foremost, who works out for hours before and after he’s been shooting for 12 hours, and who cares deeply about the job he does ”.

Granted, this answer makes a lot of sense, as while I’m sure Cavill would prefer the story to be as close to the books as possible, he is an actor who understands the importance of adapting something for a modern audience. It also seems like being a Witcher takes a lot of work, so it’s not surprising that he wants to retire after three seasons.