The Witcher season 3 will keep the Wild Hunt 'an ever-looming threat'

The Witcher is heading towards the Wild Hunt, but it won't be as immediate as fans might expect after that season 2 finale reveal.

Showrunner Lauren Hissrich tells EW in an interview that the seven spectral riders, who are together known as the Wild Hunt and were first teased on the show in the pilot, will remain "an ever-looming threat" in season 3.

"I think a couple of things are gonna happen right now," Hissrich says when asked about the Wild Hunt. "We set up the Wild Hunt for Ciri in the middle of season 2 as her thinking, 'I don't quite understand what this is. I don't understand why they're in this dreamscape that I'm having.' And then, obviously, at the very end, she visits the dark elves' sphere and she realizes these people are after me."

The Witcher Netflix/YouTube Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), Ciri (Freya Allan), and Geralt (Henry Cavill) witness the Wild Hunt in 'The Witcher' season 2.

In season 2, the sorceress Triss Merigold (Anna Shaffer) uses magic to learn more about the origin of Ciri's (Freya Allan) magic. Doing so gives the princess of Cintra a terrifying vision of the Wild Hunt riders.

The show also introduced Voleth Meir, known as the Deathless Mother, a malevolent entity who feeds on despair. She possessed Ciri, using her body to kill witchers and summon monsters inside Kaer Morhen. Voleth Meir is just one member of the Wild Hunt. Towards the end of the season 2 finale, Ciri transports to another world with Geralt (Henry Cavill) and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) where they see the Wild Hunt charging toward them.

"When we were talking about the pressure on Ciri and what she is experiencing from all of these people that seem to want her, what's great is she has a run-in with the Wild Hunt so it becomes much more palpable to her and much scarier," Hissrich explains. "One of the things that I love in the books that [author Andrzej] Sapkowski did beautifully is he teases the Wild Hunt for so long. They pop up, then they go away for a while. So we are definitely sticking to that school."

She adds, "We all know that, eventually, Geralt is going to learn a little bit more about the Wild Hunt, as will Ciri, but right now it stays this ever-looming threat to her. It sort of goes between her fingers. She can't quite catch it and figure it out yet."

An episode of The Witcher after-show, featuring Hissrich, explained more about the Wild Hunt for casual viewers of the Netflix fantasy drama.

EW exclusively revealed that The Witcher season 3, debuting sometime in summer 2023, will adapt the Shaerrawedd setting from the books in the premiere episode. Hissrich said it marks one of the biggest sets they ever built for the show.

The showrunner also spoke about the big news from the Continent: the recasting of Geralt. Season 3, which will now be Cavill's last go in the starring role before Liam Hemsworth takes over in season 4, will be a "heroic sendoff" for the actor.

"Geralt's big turn is about giving up neutrality and doing anything that he has to do to get to Ciri. And to me, it's the most heroic sendoff that we could have, even though it wasn't written to be that," Hissrich said. "Geralt has a new mission in mind when we come back to him in season 4. He's a slightly different Geralt than we expected. Now, by the way, that's an understatement."

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• The Witcher boss calls season 3 'the most heroic sendoff' for Henry Cavill before recasting

• The Witcher season 3 will feature key setting from Blood of Elves book

• Henry Cavill losing out on Superman role won't impact The Witcher recasting