After season 2 of The Witcher was hit by a number of COVID-related delays, cameras are currently rolling on the Netflix series' third season. Little to no details have been revealed about what fans can expect from where Geralt of Rivia's story goes next (the finale offered a few hints), though a new set photo confirms that a pivotal battle from Andrzej Sapkowski's novels has made the cut.
We're heading into SPOILER territory here, so you'd best turn away now if you want to go in blind!
According to Redanian Intelligence (via SFFGazette.com), the image below shows Henry Cavill's Geralt squaring off with Mahesh Jadu's Vilgefortz of Roggeveen, mirroring a battle fans will know played out in Sapkowski's novel, Time of Contempt.
In that book, Vilgefortz sets out to convince Geralt that he should join his side in the conflict between Nilfgaard and the Northern Kingdoms after it had led to a seemingly irreparable rift in the Brotherhood of Sorcerers. Known as the "Thanedd Coup," a lot of secrets were revealed during this fight, but the biggest blow was felt by Geralt.
Underestimating his opponent, Geralt was badly beaten by the warrior and mage and ended up shattering his thigh and elbow. This left the heroic Witcher with lasting damage, something the series and video games have yet to address. However, it was back in 2020 that showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich assured fans that The Witcher would eventually touch on that aspect of its lead.
"I've read these books a dozen times, these specific sections, and I've not thought of it further than: 'Geralt has some pain, onto the next thing,'" she revealed at the time. "I've been wrong. I'm excited to dig into this more. To add this layer to our hero."
Needless to say, this sequence looks set to have major consequences for the Netflix series, and fans of the books may now have a better idea of where season 3 of The Witcher is heading.
Check out this intriguing new set photo in the Twitter post below: