Netflix is worried people think Henry Cavill has already left The Witcher

The first half of The Witcher Season 3 is on Netflix now, and the streaming platform would like you to know that the lead role of Geralt of Rivia is still being played by Henry Cavill.

In fact, they've taken out ads to remind you.

Splashed across several ad spaces in London is Netflix's Cavill-centric ad campaign, reading "Yes, he's still Geralt in Season Three." The show's official Twitter account collected pictures of these ads and put them together in a single tweet, accompanied by the message, "Just in case you need a reminder."

Well, the reminder's been acknowledged, but maybe not in the way Netflix wanted.

Fans on Twitter took to the post quickly and negatively, calling out a marketing tactic they believe to be misguided. "Who thought this was a good idea?" reads one upset tweet; another claims "This has to mean initial watch numbers are bad." The word "desperate" appears more than once.

Twitter users were also quick to point out how the campaign could be interpreted as insulting to future Geralt actor Liam Hemsworth. Hemsworth, who will take over the titular role in the show's fourth season, already has an uphill battle to win over fans who have adored Cavill's portrayal of the monster-hunter. And according to some of those die-hards, Netflix is not helping him.

"This is absolutely throwing Liam Hemsworth under a bus," says one angry user; another says that "Not even Netflix" is rooting for the new lead. "Hemsworth should quit," says one particularly poignant poster, "this is so disrepsectful."

Of course, Twitter isn't the best place to judge public reaction; the nature of the social media platform floats the most enraged opinions to the top. However, Netflix's marketing technique is the latest in a series of decisions that seem to genuinely upset the general Witcher fanbase.

Cavill's recasting was, of course, controversial, as was the decision to move away from the plot of the Witcher book series by Andrzej Sapkowski. In fact, it was this decision that ultimately made Cavill depart the show. Coupled with low viewership in its latest season, these moves could spell trouble for what was once a sword and sorcery sensation.

Whatever the future holds for The Witcher, you can check out the first five episodes of the third season now; they dropped on Netflix June 29. The next five episodes of this third season will stream July 27.

And in case you need reminding, Henry Cavill is still in them.

We're big Witcher Watchers over here at Popverse, so stay tuned for all the best news out of the Continent. And if all this talk has you interested in checking out the show but you don't know where to start, why not take a look at our explainer on how to do just that?