The Witcher: Henry Cavill regrets not getting Geralt’s bath scene just right

Adapting a book or video game for the screen can be a daunting undertaking, especially if the original source material already has a dedicated fanbase. There’s a lot of pressure to get everything right, doubly so if directors or actors are fans of the franchise themselves. And being a fan of CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3 prior to taking on the role of Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s The Witcher series, Henry Cavill no doubt felt some obligation to capture the character and the events of the books and games accurately. For the most part, it seems the actor was satisfied with his portrayal of the White Wolf of Rivia.

There is one scene, however, that Cavill did feel some disappointment at not getting completely right. The iconic bathtub scene from The Witcher 3 is one many fans were looking forward to seeing onscreen, and it’s one that does indeed appear — just not exactly as it had in the game.

It’s a small detail, but Geralt’s position in the bathtub on the show is a bit different than the one in the video game. While the moment still had just about everyone swooning over Geralt, his feet aren’t up on the side of the tub as they are in the game. According to Cavill, this wasn’t for lack of trying. “I was trying to put my feet up, and I couldn’t,” Cavill explained during an interview with BBC Radio One. “The bath was the wrong shape. But I thought that might have been a bit much as well.”

Even if the shot wasn’t exactly how he wanted it, it’s nice to see that the actor is committed enough to take even thirsty bathtub scenes seriously. “I don’t know how many people realized how iconic it was, that there was already a visual attached,” Cavill said.

Feet up or not, the moment was definitely a hit amongst Witcher 3 fans — and even those who haven’t played the game because, come on, it’s Henry Cavill in a bathtub. Hopefully, the Netflix series will continue to find ways to pay homage to the source material in future seasons. And if those ways involve more sexy Geralt moments, who’s really complaining?

Speaking of future seasons, Witcher fansite Redanian Intelligence is reporting that season 2 will feature an iconic monster mentioned in Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels but only encountered in the flesh in the video games: the leshen, or leshy.

A leshy is a forest deity drawn from Slavic folklore. Apparently, a character will encounter one in season 2, and suffer “serious consequences” as a result. Stay out of the woods, Geralt.

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