Summary
- For close to two decades, Doug Cockle has been the iconic voice of Geralt in The Witcher games.
- That almost wasn’t the case, though, as CD Projekt Red almost recast him entirely for The Witcher 2.
- Cockle had to enquire about the situation and then re-audition for his role, which was obviously successful.
Doug Cockle, the iconic voice of Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher games, recently revealed that CD Projekt Red almost recast his role during the development of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.
As all of the uproar from a certain crowd regarding Ciri being the protagonist of The Witcher 4 has proven (in the wrong ways, mind), Geralt of Rivia is incredibly important to the series, and one of gaming’s most beloved protagonists. While that doesn’t excuse how some are acting towards what is clearly the right and intended progression for the series, it does show what a big impact the gruff Witcher made.
Related
The Witcher 4 Already Sounds Too Big
CDPR could learn a lot from the incredibly underrated Witcher 2.
That impact is in no small part because of Doug Cockle’s excellent voice work for the character, which has become as synonymous with Geralt as his two swords and white hair. Cockle has been playing Geralt ever since the first Witcher hit the scene and looks to continue to do so in the future, something that, just like Henry Cavill in the Netflix series, almost wasn’t the case at all.
Geralt Of Rivia Almost Sounded Very Different In The Witcher 2
As pointed out by The Witcher news site Redanian Intelligence, Doug Cockle took part in an episode of Behind the Voice earlier this year to talk about his role as Geralt in The Witcher games. That role looks like it could have been a whole lot shorter at one point, as Cockle recalls being told be a friend that they’d auditioned for Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher 2, indicating that a recast was in the works.
In response to the news, Cockle called up CD Projekt Red and asked them why they were recasting, noting that he’d like to throw his hat back in the ring and be considered again. CD Projekt came back to him and eventually explained that the studio wanted to go in a “whole different direction” for the character, something that led it to go back to the drawing board with everything.
I contacted CD Projekt, I just heard you’re recasting. Don’t know why you’re recasting, but I’d love to throw my hat in the ring again. I’d love to be considered again. Let me know if I can audition. – Doug Cockle
Of course, as we all know now, Cockle was successful in his reaudition for The Witcher 2, where he played Geralt very similarly to the first game. It’s not clear what CD Projekt had in mind when it came to a “whole other direction”, but it clearly worked out for the best in the end. Let’s just be glad that Geralt is seemingly alive and well in The Witcher 4.
Next
Shadow Labyrinth’s Producer Talks Secret Level, Aiming For A New Audience, And The Future Of Pac-Man
Seigo Aizawa walks us through how Shadow Labyrinth’s twisted take on Pac-Man came to be and what it means for the beloved character.