Is Geralt (Henry Cavill) in The Witcher: Blood Origin?

A new series set in The Witcher universe is coming to Netflix on Christmas Day! Despite being set in Netflix’s fast-growing dark fantasy world, one of the most important characters will not be present in the series. The Witcher: Blood Origin will not feature Henry Cavill as the titular Witcher, Geralt, but there is a pretty good reason for that.

The Witcher: Blood Origin is a prequel series set 1,200 years before Netflix’s The Witcher series begins. Two seasons of The Witcher are available to watch on the streaming service following Geralt’s monster-hunting exploits. The Witcher season 3 is set to return in the summer of 2023.

Witchers don’t exist yet in Blood Origin, which will explore the first “prototype” Witcher and the cataclysmic event known as the Conjunction of the Spheres.

Geralt hasn’t been born yet when The Witcher: Blood Origin takes place, which is why he isn’t present in the series. However, it has already been confirmed by several sources that Joey Batey is reprising his role as the bard Jaskier in the prequel, and Jaskier also wouldn’t have been born at the time the show takes place, so how does that work?

Jaskier’s presence is featured in the narrative framing device connecting Blood Origin to The Witcher. Batey calls Jaskier’s prequel role the “connective tissue” that ties the two series together.

“The power of music and stories is at the heart of The Witcher: Blood Origin so it makes sense for Jaskier to be some kind of connective tissue between Blood Origin and the main show,” Batey revealed in an exclusive statement to Entertainment Weekly.

Cavill reprising his role as Geralt in the show likely would have been too distracting and confusing for audiences to follow.

Unfortunately for fans of Cavill’s Geralt, our time with him will end soon. The actor is not returning to play Geralt in The Witcher season 4 and has been recast with The Hunger Games alum Liam Hemsworth. That means the upcoming third season of The Witcher will be the last time we see Cavill as the titular character. And no, Cavill hanging up his Superman cape won’t affect his involvement in the series.

The Witcher: Blood Origin premieres on Sunday, Dec. 25. Add the series to your watchlist now.