The Witcher star Henry Cavill abruptly announced he was leaving the series last week and now fans think a recent interview explains why.

Making the announcement on Saturday, Cavill caught many off guard when he confirmed that although the show would be returning for a fourth season, he would not be in it.

‘My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for season four,’ he wrote in a statement posted on Instagram.

‘In my stead, the fantastic Mr. Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf.

‘As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam’s take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men. Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find.’

But with no explanation as to why the decision had been made to walk away and have the character re-cast, fans have been digging to find out more and there’s plenty of speculation circling. Henry has not addressed his decision to walk away beyond his statement, so none of the theories have been confirmed.

Henry Cavill announced last week he was leaving The Witcher (Picture: Jay Maidment/Netflix)

However, some have suggested that his recent interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast on October 27 appears to shine a light on what unfolded.

Speaking to host Josh Horowitz, Cavill said that his work ethic and his approach to projects was ‘just about belief’.

‘If you believe what you’re doing is the right thing then you’ll be able to keep on doing it.

Henry has played Geralt for the previous three seasons (Picture: Katalin Vermes)

‘It’s also important to know that if you realise you’re doing the wrong thing, that’s when you stop doing the wrong thing. You don’t just keep going just because, because that leads down a dark path.’

While his answer wasn’t in response to a specific question about The Witcher – and Henry hasn’t given a reason for his departure – fans have said on social media that the theory he left due to creative differences seems to be accurate.

‘What a bittersweet moment. People cheering loud at his portrayal as Geralt… and then two days later we discover he is leaving the show,’ one person commented on interview, which was also shared on YouTube.

‘But you can’t really blame the man since the Netflix writers’ room is doing their hardest at butchering the amazing source material. Good on him for finding a way out and to a bigger pay check’.

Another added that it was ‘such a shame Netflix has done so much to make the Witcher uncompromising’.

Liam is taking over the role in the fourth season (Picture: Valerie Macon/ AFP)

Many others expressed their frustration at a change in casting multiple seasons in.

‘I have to say that I’m extremely sad about The Witcher. I’ve read the books, played the games, and was getting extremely invested in the Netflix series – especially with that last cliff-hanger. I’m just not sure how they’ll explain away why Geralt looks so different,’ a fan commented.

Henry previously said that he had been pushing for the show to stay true to the books on which it is based.

‘The toughest part for me was finding that balance between the showrunners’ vision and my love for the books, and trying to bring that Geralt to the showrunners’ vision,’ he said in one interview.

‘It’s about treading a fine line there. It’s the showrunners’ story and so it’s an adaptation.

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‘The tricky bit for me was finding Geralt from the books’ place within that and being able to serve both as much as I could.’

Thousands of angry fans have threatened to boycott Netflix over the cast swap, while an online petition has seen nearly 50,000 people sign up warning the service: ‘You MUST keep Henry Cavill as The Witcher and replace the writers instead.’

Metro.co.uk has reached out to Henry Cavill’s representatives and Netflix for comment.

The Witcher is available to stream on Netflix.

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Some fans have said they think he clashed with writers.