The Witcher Netflix Series

[broodblik]

Something interesting news for people who liked the game:

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-09-04-superman-henry-cavill-cast-as-geralt-in-witcher-netflix-series

[Woolly]

Hmmm...
Not sure I can see Cavill as Geralt myself, but then he does have a habit of looking like he can't act, and then giving pretty solid performances.

I'll give him (and the makeup dept) a chance 

[Krakajac]

[Keef Monkey]

I wouldn't have called myself a Caville fan particularly before MI:Fallout but that made me a believer! I now want to see him in more stuff so this is good news.

[Theblazeuk]

I think he would have made a pretty good superman in a world where Zack Snyder had read All Star Superman rather than DK2 (I'm not going to sully Dark Knight Returns with that comparison).

Lots of people whining about a casting call asking for a non-white Ciri. Because the fact that she looks a bit like Geralt is integral to the story and making the Nilfgaardians non-white will utterly disrupt the storyline of a world where humans and monsters invaded a world of dwarves and elves thousands of years ago.

Meh. The older I get the more I want Marvel to recast everyone as multiracial/transgender/bisexual/etc just to see the bile foam.

[Rara Avis]

I am on the third Witcher book at the moment and really enjoying the series. I would really like to see this on Netflix. However I wish they wouldn't make the Nilfgaardians and Ciri non-white. It's not that I'm against representation and inclusion in media but I think that there is probably lots of material written by non white writers and artists that could be developed. My understanding of the books is that they are a critique by a Polish artist of how Russia incorporated other Eastern European countries into itself in the aftermath of WW2. Making the Nilgaardians non white brings a racial element to the narrative that changes this significantly. Or maybe not, maybe the whole evil empire thing is done to death .. Thoughts anyone?

[Funt Solo]

Why should non-white writers and artists be needed in order to include non-white characters in a piece of fiction?  I've read two of the Witcher books, and really enjoyed them.  There's a picture of Gerald on the cover that has him as pale skinned with white hair, but I don't recall much else in the books that dictates skin tone.  Analogy with European history surely doesn't preclude changes of skin tone in other renderings of the work.  Why does changing the skin tone of the Nilgaardians "bring a racial element to the narrative"?

I'm at a loss as to why this choice is even controversial, unless people have an axe to grind?

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

I'm at a loss as to why this choice is even controversial, unless people have an axe to grind?

If you are new to the internet, then allow me to welcome you. Unfortunately, not many websites are nice and friendly and level headed like what here is.

[Rara Avis]

I just think that in this instance the power dynamics of a larger Empire (USSR) swallowing up smaller satellite countries (Poland)  is something I would like to see explored rather than a black (or other race) versus white power dynamic. The book also contains this racial exploration with how humans treat those of other races elves, dwarves etc. I'm not saying that there should be no non white people just that I personally would prefer the material to be explored in the way I believe it was written.

[Proudhuff]

So if you stick to the Soviet thing you'll need a cast of Mongolian, Slavic, Georgian and other ethnic groups, oh and lots of women driving tanks... just saying 

[Funt Solo]

Well, the USSR replaced the leaders of subsumed ethnic (e.g. Kazakhstan) nations with their own ethnically Russian leaders.   So, there's already a racial element to the allegory.

As with a black Hermione, it might be interesting to fathom the author's thoughts.

[Rara Avis]

I'm totally ok with all of the above, that's what I want in fact. I just don't want it to be black / white thing I guess. Sorry if I'm not explaining this very well.

[Funt Solo]

Why does having black Nilgaardians ruin the allegory, though?  I mean: they could be green-skinned and you could still have the allegory of Big Empire subsumes smaller states.

[Rara Avis]

I guess I just like the power dynamics explored in the books and I don't want modern race politics to replace them.

[Funt Solo]

My wife has a saying: "Don't borrow trouble."

I suppose my point is that I don't see why the inclusion of black Nilgaardians automatically invokes "modern race politics".