Geralt Actor Criticizes 'Woke' Label for Ciri-Led Witcher 4

Doug Cockle, the iconic voice behind Geralt in The Witcher series, has strongly responded to the backlash against The Witcher 4's focus on Ciri, urging critics to "read the damn books" to better understand the franchise's direction.

"That's just stupid," Cockle remarked about the criticism directed at CD Projekt's upcoming game, which marks the first time Ciri will take the lead role. "It's not woke," he emphasized in a video released by Fall Damage. "There's nothing woke about it. [Ciri]'s a cool character from The Witcher, and they're gonna focus on that character, and that's awesome."

Despite reprising his role as Geralt in The Witcher 4, Cockle supports the shift in focus to Ciri, who will be the protagonist of the next game and potentially the entire upcoming trilogy. He addressed the outcry from a vocal minority online labeling the change as "woke," stating, "We can't just have Geralt for every single game for The Witcher ad nauseam, out through eternity. We've seen the end of Geralt's journey. Blood and Wine was supposed to wrap up that journey."

Cockle celebrated Ciri's new role, saying, "I celebrate Ciri. I celebrate her being the protagonist. So all you people who think it's woke... [blows raspberry]."

He further explained that the decision to feature Ciri prominently in The Witcher 4 is deeply rooted in the lore established by Andrzej Sapkowski's original novels. "If you read the books, then you understand why CD Projekt went down this avenue," Cockle noted. "There's a whole rich world of stuff to explore with Ciri, that they didn't do when they put her into Witcher 3, because the story was about Geralt. But she hints at it."

Encouraging fans to delve into the source material, Cockle added, "If you think it's woke, read the damn books — they're good, first of all. And secondly, you won't think it's so woke anymore."

CD Projekt's games are set after the events of Sapkowski's novels, though the author has distanced his work from the video game adaptations that continue Geralt's story. However, both Sapkowski and CD Projekt recognize Ciri's importance to the narrative, making her a natural choice to take the spotlight when Geralt steps back.

For those interested in the upcoming game, IGN has previously discussed Geralt's return in The Witcher 4 with CD Projekt's franchise and lore designers, explaining how the established timeline seamlessly integrates these developments.

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