A show losing its star can be a death sentence. The Office went downhill after Steve Carell left, and everyone remembers the disaster that was Two and a Half Men. Now, Netflix’s The Witcher will give Laurence Fishburne the chance to save the series after its star’s departure when he makes his debut as fan-favorite character Regis.
The Witcher caused some controversy when Henry Cavill announced he was leaving the role of Geralt of Rivia behind in 2022, handing the reins over to Liam Hemsworth, best known for his role as Gale Hawthorne in The Hunger Games series, after Season 3.
Well, Season 3 has come and gone, and The Witcher Season 4 is ramping up production with Hemsworth as Geralt. However, Netflix has seemingly realized they have to do more than just bring in a Hemsworth brother to give the series a fighting chance of surviving such a major recasting, and that’s where Fishburne comes in.
Fishburne is set to join Season 4 of The Witcher as Regis, which is a name that should be familiar to diehards. Hundreds of years old, Regis is a higher vampire that packs a serious punch and plays a major role in the “Blood and Wine” expansion of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. He’s also a major fan favorite of book and game fans alike. The canon of the show is different than the games, of course, so fans shouldn’t expect to see an adaptation of that expansion, but that’s not what’s important about bringing Fishburne aboard.
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Obviously, Fishburne is certainly a celebrated actor, having three Emmy Awards and a Tony Award to his name. However, despite giving plenty of powerhouse performances in dramatic films and plays over the years, it’s his work in more mainstream projects that should get Witcher fans believing that he can help save the series and make it worth watching still.
The actor’s most iconic role is, of course, Morpheus in the Matrix series. He and Keanu Reeves had such wonderful chemistry in those films, helping bring an incredibly strange concept to life. That continued over in the John Wick franchise, where Fishburne played The Bowery King, the leader of an intelligence worker who loved to get back at authority and helped the titular assassin on numerous occasions.
And while it’s not the best-reviewed series of films, Fishburne’s Perry White in the DCEU always made his presence felt. It’s unfortunate that he won’t be able to reunite with his Clark Kent in The Witcher, but his ability to chew up the scenery and help bring out the best in other actors is good news for Hemsworth and the rest of the cast.
Even if he doesn’t have the biggest role in Season 4, Laurence Fishburne will help ensure that The Witcher is a series worth continuing.
If you’re interested in more The Witcher content, here’s how to read all of the books in order.
