16 Analyzing Disappointed Anti-Fandom in Henry Cavill’s Departure from ‘The Witcher
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In the realm of popular culture, fandom emerges as a compelling and multifaceted phenomenon. The growth of social media has revolutionized fan engagement, offering unprecedented access to their favourite texts and creators. Yet, this dynamic landscape is not devoid of backlash and divergences. A striking illustration of this is the audience backfire surrounding the popular fantasy series, “The Witcher,” triggered by the unexpected departure of its lead actor, Henry Cavil who played Geralt of Rivia in the first three seasons, in the upcoming fourth season (Agard, 2023). This event ignited a wave of disappointment among a subset of fans, giving rise to a distinctive manifestation of anti-fandom. In this paper, I will argue that the disappointed anti-fans of “The Witcher” are motivated by a sense of betrayal, frustration, and resistance, and that they express their affect through various forms of online debate, criticism, and protest, using Twitter as one of their primary platforms for communication and creativity. This paper will be organized as follows: Firstly, I will define and explain the concept of disappointed anti-fans. Subsequently, I will explore how these anti-fans articulate their affect through enunciative productivity. Lastly, I will examine the concept of poaching, demonstrating its relevance to the disappointed anti-fans’ creation of new texts or interpretations based on the original media text. Through this comprehensive analysis, this paper aims to shed light on the complex dynamics of audience participation in the era of social media, thereby contributing to the broader discourse on fan culture.
Disappointed anti-fans are a subset of fans who have a complex relationship with the object of their fandom. They are fans of the text or object to a certain extent, but they reject other parts of it and feel the need to rework or cure it (Barnes, 2022). This subset of anti-fandom differs from other types of fans or anti-fans in their level of engagement and the nature of their affective bond with the fan object. Unlike regular fans who have a positive bond characterized by
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affection for a creator or anti-fans who have are immersed in some level of blind dislike, disappointed anti-fans have more ambivalent bond characterized by both affection and dissatisfaction; a love for certain parts of the object or text but critical and disappointed of others (Adegbuyi, 2021). Although, fannish engagement is wanting to take something of the object and work with it, it is the critical desire of the anti-fandom that refers to a point of distaste which Gray (2019) describes as being anti-fannish and where it can grow overtime and, eventually, dominate. Disappointed anti-fans occupy a unique position in the spectrum of both fandom and anti-fandom. They are fans who are also critics, expressing their affect through a mix of appreciation, disappointment, and resistance (Barnes, 2022).
The fandom of “The Witcher” has exhibited signs of disappointed anti-fans in response to the news of the main actor, Henry Cavil, leaving the show after finishing season three. The news was announced on August 08th 2023 in an article published on Tudum by Netflix (Agard, 2023). Then shortly after, the official “Witcher” account posted on platforms, like Twitter, to reach a larger audience about the change. Quick to follow, was the disappointment the fans felt by the announcement. This is particularly evident in the numerous replies and tweets after Netflix brought the news to Twitter as seen below in Figures 1 to 3:
Figure 1:
Note: An example of a disappointed anti-fan replying to a tweet. Reprinted from Twitter, by @dlklppl. (2022)
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https://twitter.com/dlklppl/status/1586434348521525249.
Figure 2:
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Note: An example of a disappointed anti-fan replying to a tweet. Reprinted from Twitter, by J.Rabbit, @JessicaRabbitie. (2023). https://twitter.com/JessicaRabbitie/status/1587051394799910919
Figure 3:
Note: An example of a disappointed anti-fan replying to a tweet. Reprinted from Twitter, by C.Cloud, @TrueCzechCloud. (2022). https://twitter.com/TrueCzechCloud/status/1586482145882943488
After hearing the news, disappointed anti-fans were quick to make efforts in trying to stop the change from happening. They began a petition on change.org, urging Netflix to reconsider bringing back Henry Cavil to remain as the main character (Ma, 2022). The figure below is a tweet from the account of a United Kingdom news and entertainment outlet, updating people about the unwavering amounts of signatures:
Figure 4:
Note: An example of a news outlet tweeting about the how many people signed the petition to keep Henry Cavil on the show. Reprinted from Twitter, by LADbibleNews, @LADbibleUKNews. (2023). https://twitter.com/LADbibleUKNews/status/1613309844156555266
These are great examples of how the fandom of “The Witcher” demonstrated disappointed anti-fan behaviour. The reaction of tweets, replies of the initial announcement, shows signs of betrayal and frustration. Gray (2019) states that “if media and cultural studies has already catalogued well the process in which fans aim to mend things within a text that are perceived to be wrong or broken, let us also extend that work to comprehend better the points at which audiences can no longer in good conscience even try to fix a text, at which point they simply tune out and/ or at which point they do not have the desire to bother fixing the text” (p. 31). This idea relates to fans of the show attempting to ‘mend’ past issues, such as narrative inconsistencies where the show itself experienced backlash due to inconsistencies with the adaptation from book to film although, the overall reaction of to the show was positive. However, the departure of Henry Cavill, who embodies the character Geralt of Rivia, marked a turning point of most of the fandom. This event triggered feelings of betrayal and frustration amongst fans, leading them to disengage from the show. We see this in the reaction of fans
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wanting the show to end, specifically through words of the tweets when fans replied, “burn the script” or “cancel the show.” As the quote suggests, The Witcher fans, at first, reached a point where they could no longer ‘in good conscience even try to fix’ the show or lost “the desire to fix” it. This behaviour is indicative of disappointed anti-fandom, demonstrating a shift from active engagement and critique to disinterest and disengagement. Moreover, the anti-fans exhibit another form of behaviour after the replies on Twitter. As time goes on, using their betrayal and frustration, the audience begins to apply resistance. The petition, mentioned and pictured above, is anti-fans actively opposing changes to the object they disagree with as they voice their opposition, and this becomes a alliance of fandom. This resistance significs their refusal to accept the change and their desire to influence the direction of the object.
We are naturally inclined to shape our actions and decisions based on our emotional responses to various motivations (Šimić, G, et al., 2021). This tendency extends universally to individuals interacting with objects or texts. The audience, consisting of diverse individuals, may not always consider external factors beyond the immediate scope of the object or text. For instance, displays of emotional connection come from the actor Henry Cavill himself, who is a fan of The Witcher franchise. Such as, the interest and love he has for the video game or as The Gamer Newsletter (2023) states “he loves The Witcher, every inch of every page and every pixel of the video game.” This is one of the reasons why people fell in love with the actor playing Geralt of Rivia, because it was someone who truly encapsulated and understood the character. The emotions and results, from fans, that arose from the announcement of the biggest change in The Witcher Netflix series, is also perceived as a certain type of audience productivity. John Fiske (1992) proposes three types of productivity – enunciative, semiotic, and textual – in his essay “The Cultural Economy of Fandom” (p. 37). Specifically focusing on enunciative
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productivity, which refers to the ways that fans articulate their affect, or emotional attachment, to their object of fandom, either through verbal or non-verbal means (p. 38). It can also be used to express negative or critical feelings towards the object, especially when fans are disappointed or betrayed by it. Disappointed anti-fans use enunciative productivity to voice their dissatisfaction, frustration, or anger. For example, the tweets and the creation of the petition, previously stated and pictured, are all forms of enunciative anti-fan productivity. We, also, can see this productivity in other forms of non-verbal forms like hashtags, memes, images, and symbols. The following Figures 5 to 7 tweets are forms of enunciative productivity by disappointed anti-fans of the series:
Figure 5:
Note: An example of a disappointed anti-fan describing how he feels about Henry Cavil leaving the show. Reprinted from Twitter, by F. Head, @Footyheady. (2022).
I used to love 2 & half men, watched every episode many times over but haven't watched a single episode since charlie left. No big CS fan but his character made the show, same with big Henry, when ratings post HC come in they'll be lower than a snakes belly
###CANCELLLLLLLED###
— Footy Head (@footyhead32) December 7, 2022
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Figure 6:
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Note: An example of a disappointed anti-fan expressing the connection between Henry and Geralt. Reprinted from Twitter, by L, Lindberg, @LinnaLindberg1. (2023). https://twitter.com/LinnaLindberg1/status/1666803563882766337
Figure 7:
These images are forms of enunciative productivity and examples of disappointed anti- fans challenging the authority of the producers and asserting their own interpretations and
Note: An example of a meme made by a disappointed anti-fan, that shows fandoms of the Witcher franchise uniting as one. Reprinted from Twitter, by Isa, @IsaAfterDark. (2022). https://twitter.com/IsaAfterDark/status/1586494773007114240/photo/1
expectations of the recent decisions made for the upcoming season of The Witcher. It is a way of creating a sense of community and identity among the disappointed anti-fans, who share their grievances and opinions with each other. This is highly displayed in the meme shown above referring to the unison of different kinds of fandoms from The Witcher franchise. This example shows that enunciative productivity helps fans use their knowledge and appreciation that they have of their object to create meanings within their community or fastening a new one where they can support each other based on their stance. Additionally, fans associate Henry Cavill as the perfect embodiment of the character and have clearly developed a strong emotional attachment to his portrayal of Geralt of Rivia, as seen in the above Figures 5 to 7. When fans heard of the announcement, the popular cultural capital it generates is thus limited to a restricted circulation (Fiske, 1992, p. 31). We can also allude to the fact that although a community is being controlled, a new one was beginning. Specifically, referring to how all fans of the franchise came together by boycotting and resisting the new season of the show, forming a new community and culture to express their support and loyalty. This concept of enunciative productivity can help explain the above examples of how fans associate Cavill playing Geralt of Rivia as the primary force of the show and without that, their object does not exist.
The concept of “poaching” was introduced by media scholar Henry Jenkins, and it refers to the way fans appropriate and rework media texts to suit their own interests and needs (2012). He says fans as “textual poachers”, navigate through the structure spaces of popular culture, scavenging for materials that can be refashioned into a sense of personal and social identity. In relation to disappointed anti-fans, the concept of poaching becomes particularly relevant as they often engage in poaching as a form of resistance or protest (Jenkins, 1992). This idea of resistance and protest has been a clear theme in this paper, as disappointed anti-fans behave this
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way as they feel some form of betrayal from the show. Many entertainment and news platforms, like Bustle (2022), have written articles about fans reactions to the change in character through primarily textual evidence such as meme posts on social media and tweets. Disappointed anti- fans generated many memes that offered alternative meanings based on the real-life ordeal happening with the show. They do this by taking a moment from the show and adding new meaning to the actor, scene, or the line used in a particular part. The following Figures 8 to 10 are examples of how disappointed anti-fans became textual poachers as a form of resistance or protest:
Figure 8:
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Note: An example of a disappointed anti-fan poaching. Reprinted from Twitter, by CanWeGetSomeToast, @CanWeGetToast. (2023).https://twitter.com/CanWeGetToast/status/1684783107386265600
Figure 9:
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Note: An example of a disappointed anti-fan poaching by creating a new meaning to an original text through a tweet. Reprinted from Twitter, by Era, R. @TheBendySlow. (2022). https://twitter.com/TheBendySlow/status/1586460668307263489
Figure 10:
Based on the examples above, fans feel like they have a right to “rework” something for their own pleasure. Disappointed anti-fans actively engage with object extracting elements from it, and creating new meanings that differ from and oppose the original intent of the creators (Jenkins, 2012). They resist the dominant changes of the show and assert their own agency and creativity as disappointed anti-fans by creating memes using clips from the series to make new meanings that reflect their dissatisfaction and overall, resistance. This act of poaching gives them a chance to assert their own agency, voice their opinions of the changes, and engage with the object and community on their own terms (Jenkins 2012). In another way, the tenth figure above, we see many memes replacing the face of the main character to that of someone who “doesn’t fit” the aesthetics or idea of Geralt of Rivia. This is a form of mocking someone, that is disappointing anti-fans creating a snarky remark to the replacement of Henry Cavill, Liam Hemsworth. Gray (2019) states that poaching does not explain much of anti-fandom but it explains culture exhaustion. It is evident that the disappointed anti-fans of The Witcher are working hard at making their point of dissatisfaction and resistance by taking something from the object, re-textualizing it, and recirculating it with its community.
This paper has explored how some fans of the fantasy series “The Witcher” became disappointed anti-fans, who expressed their feelings of betrayal, dissatisfaction, and resistance on Twitter. It has analyzed the discourse and reception
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of the show and the diversity and complexity of the disappointed anti-fan community, through a reoccuring theme of resistance. The paper has demonstrated that disappointed anti-fandom is a nuanced and dynamic form of audience engagement, that reflects the social and cultural impact of contemporary media fandom. It has shown that the disappointed anti-fans were active and critical participants, who challenged the showrunners’ authority and legitimacy, and demanded accountability and respect for their investment as an affective audience. It has also revealed that the disappointed anti-fans were a diverse and divided community, who had different opinions, preferences, and identities, and who engaged in various forms of dialogue, debate, and conflict with each other, as well as with the fans and the producers and the actors of the show. Moving forward, there is possible directions for further research, action, or improvement, regarding disappointed anti-fandom. For example, future studies could explore how disappointed anti-fandom relates to other types of anti- fandom, such as hate-watching, trolling, or boycotting, and how it influences the reception and evaluation of other media texts or genres. Equally, media producers and actors could adopt a more constructive and empathetic approach to addressing the feedback and criticism from the disappointed anti-fans and try to understand the causes and consequences of their disappointment. Additionally, the disappointed anti- fans themselves could practice a more respectful and tolerant attitude towards the fans and the creators of the show and acknowledge the diversity and complexity of fandom or anti-fandom experiences and expressions.
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Works Cited:
Adegbuyi, F. (2021). The Anti-Fan Phenomenon: Inside The Online Communities Where People Love To Hate. Cybernaut by Every. The Anti-Fan Phenomenon (every.to)
Agard, C. (2023). Liam Hemsworth Is Picking Up Geralt’s Sword for ‘The Witcher’ Season 4. Tudum by Netflix. https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/the-witcher-season-4-liam- hemsworth
Barnes, R. (2022). Finding the Fan and Anti-fan: Fan Studies as an Interpretative Frame
for Political Polarization. In Fandom and Polarization in Online Political Discussion (pp. 37–59). Springer International Publishing AG. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14039- 6_3
Fiske, J. (1992). The Cultural Economy of Fandom. 37-39. https://paas.org.pl/wp- content/uploads/2014/07/Fiske.pdf
Gray, J. (2019). How Do I Dislike Thee? Let Me Count The Ways. COMM3P18. Brightspace.
https://brightspace.brocku.ca/content/enforced/77427-2023-FW-D02-S01-COMM-3P18- LEC/custom_widgets/_Antifandom_How%20do%20I%20dislike%20thee%20copy.pdf?_& d2lSessionVal=u5ulMt6JQFGiXLWIo02CybtmE
Henley, S. (2023). Don’t Learn The Wrong Lessons From Henry Cavill Being A Witcher Fan. TheGamer. https://www.thegamer.com/henry-cavill-witcher-fan-season-three-exit/
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Hunt. E. (2022). Twitter Has Gone Into Meltdown Over Henry Cavill Being Replaced In The Witcher. Bustle TV & Movie. https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/henry-cavill-quits- the-witcher-liam-hemsworth-replacement-memes-tweets-reactions
Jenkins, H. (1992). Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203361917
Jenkins, H. (2012). Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203114339
Ma. S (2022). NETFLIX: You MUST keep Henry Cavill as The Witcher and replace the writers instead. Change.org. https://www.change.org/p/netflix-you-must-keep- https://www.change.org/p/netflix-you-must-keep-henry-cavill-as-the-witcher-and- replacethewritersinstead?recruiter=175251639&utm_source=share_petition&utm_med ium=twitter&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=0f0cf8a0-63bb- 11e4-9918-476c45f2f5e7&share_bandit_exp=initial-34852852-en-US
Šimić, G., Tkalčić, M., Vukić, V., Mulc, D., Španić, E., Šagud, M., Olucha-Bordonau, F. E., Vukšić, M., & Hof, P. R. (2021). Understanding Emotions: Origins and roles of the amygdala. Biomolecules, 11(6), 823. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom11060823
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Figures Cited (Listed in order from 1-10)
CanWeGetSomeToast. (2023). [@CanWeGetToast]. (2023, July 28). The writing in Henry Cavill’s final episodes of The Witcher were truly abysmal. So much precious TIME was spent on desert Ciri and him on his back moaning and groaning. His “send off” was a fight scene against… random guards?!? What a shame. No wonder he’s leaving the show. [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/CanWeGetToast/status/1684783107386265600
CzechCloud. (2022). [@TrueCzechCloud]. (2022, October 29). Why do you hate Witcher so much? At this point, you can just burn the script. [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/TrueCzechCloud/status/1586482145882943488
D. (2022). [@dlklppl]. (2022, October 29). Literally, just cancel it then. LMAO. [Tweet]. Twitter.
Literally, just cancel it then. LMAO.
— D (@dlklppl) October 29, 2022
Era, R. (2022). [@TheBendySlow]. (2022, October 29). Henry Cavill has been replaced as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher by Liam Hemsworth.. Jaskier be like…[Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/TheBendySlow/status/1586460668307263489
FootyHead. (2022). [@footyhead32]. (2022, December 7). I used to love 2 & half men, watched every episode many times over but haven’t watched a single episode since charlie left. No big CS fan but his character made the show, same with big Henry, when ratings post HC come in they’ll be lower than a snakes belly… ###CANCELLLLLLLED###. [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/footyhead32/status/1600550513296261121
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Isa. (2022). [@IsaAfterDark]. (2022, October 29). Henry Cavill has done what no other could do. Geralt united the Witcher fandom at last. [Tweet]. Twitter.
https://twitter.com/IsaAfterDark/status/1586494773007114240/photo/1
LADbibleNews. (2023). [@LADbibleUKNews]. (2023, January 11). The Witcher: Oof, nearly 300k fans sign petition to keep Cavill, fire the writers https://gamingbible.co.uk/news/the-u witcher-nearly-300k-petition-keep-cavill-writers-728302-20221212?&source=zaptwln. [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/LADbibleUKNews/status/1613309844156555266
Lindberg. L. (2023). @[LinnaLindberg1]. (2023, June 8). I kinda get his reasoning,that Geralt has a character will never change, its still Geralt.But the problem is, Henry is someone we associates with Geralt. He has become the character, and his sudden departure is what bother us and changing actor will always bother people!. [Tweet]. Twitter.https://twitter.com/LinnaLindberg1/status/1666803563882766337
Pelis, E. (2022). [@Pelicolombianas]. (2022, October 30). BREAKING NEWS: Gustavo Petro will replace Henry Cavill as Geralt in ‘THE WITCHER’ Season 4. [Tweet]. Twitter.https://twitter.com/Pelicolombianas/status/1586835692843409412/photo/1
Rabbit. J. [@JessicaRabbitie]. (2023). Did we not learn from GOT why you stick to the story? Fire the writers. Keep Henry. Keep your fans. Simple as that. [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/JessicaRabbitie/status/1587051394799910919