Henry Cavill discusses his on-set Witcher injury and recovery

The Witcher - Credit: Katalin Vermes
The Witcher - Credit: Katalin Vermes

Henry Cavill is known for his physical prowess. Not only does he play athletic characters like Superman and Geralt of Rivia, but he’s an avid runner who enjoys fitness as part of his everyday routine. So it perhaps it wasn’t surprising that Cavill, a guy who likes to do things himself, suffered a hamstring injury while filming the second season of The Witcher.

The injury forced him to stop working, and stop working out. Speaking to People, Cavill notes that this was absolutely for the best because he needed to focus on healing. “When I look back, I realize, yes, it was a hard time,” he said. “I think one of the skills I’ve picked up over the years is just forging ahead regardless of difficulty of hard work or trials and tribulations. So when the hamstring injury came, I tried to look at the silver lining. It was like, ‘Ok. I was working insane hours and it was exhausting and I now physically can’t work because I’m on crutches.’ So I was focusing more on taking the time off and going, how can I best heal myself?”

Production on The Witcher season 2 didn’t stop because of Cavill’s injury, but instead continued with scenes that didn’t require Cavill’s presence. This gave the actor the time he needed to heal without worrying about a delay.

Henry Cavill opens up about his mental health philosophy

Cavill has a very utilitarian outlook when it comes to balancing life, work and mental health. “When it comes to my mental health, I focus on what I can control and work on that,” he said. “And that gives me something to work towards rather than something to deal with or work through or manage my life through.”

Now that filming is complete on The Witcher season 2 and Cavill is healed from his injury, he’s focusing on a new goal: Sprinting. “I want to build a better engine,” he said. “One of the things my physical therapy for my hamstring showed me was that I have a lot of capacity in my engine but I have not accessed it. And it’s something which I really want to build upon.”

The Witcher season 2 premieres on Netflix on December 17. Hopefully work on season 3 will pick up soon after.

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h/t ComicBook