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After joining Screen Rant in January 2025, Guy became a Senior Features Writer in March of the same year, and now specializes in features about classic TV shows. With several years' experience writing for and editing TV, film and music publications, his areas of expertise include a wide range of genres, from comedies, animated series, and crime dramas, to Westerns and political thrillers.
With Netflix’s TV adaptation of The Witcher coming to an end later in 2026, fans of the series might want to consider looking into Devil May Cry as a potential replacement. Apart from the fact that both have been adapted from celebrated fantasy video games series, their premises also share a lot in common.
Right now, Devil May Cry is one of the best anime series on Netflix, but it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility that a live-action adaptation could follow in the coming years. The streaming giant has recent form with commissioning live-action versions of classic anime shows, with One Piece and Avatar: The Last Airbender debuting in the past two years.
On the other hand, The Witcher’s TV show is set to end very differently from the books which inspired it, with fans of the franchise deeply unhappy with its direction. Those behind Devil May Cry’s further TV releases must respect the source material that spawned, or else risk the ire of video game fans the world over.
Devil May Cry Is The Witcher’s Perfect Replacement On Netflix
Either way, there’s no question that Devil May Cry is the closest thing fans of The Witcher will find to their favorite fantasy story on Netflix today. Eric Heisserer’s Shadow and Bone series has often been compared to The Witcher, but it has nothing on the similarities this video game adaptation shares with Geralt of Rivia’s tale.
Devil May Cry’s version of Geralt is Dante, another monster hunter for hire who slays demons with his superhuman speed, strength, and rare brilliance with sword in hand. Both Geralt and Dante are lone wolves, who blend the classic hero’s journey with elements of cinematic anti-heroism.
Netflix’s Animated Devil May Cry Series Is Back In 2026 After An Impressive 1st Season
Following the great reviews Netflix’s Devil May Cry anime adaptation received last year, the series is returning for a second season on May 12, 2026. The show has been praised for its spectacular fight sequences and sumptuous animation, although some audiences have criticized aspects of its first outing on the small screen.
Despite its faithful approach to adapting Hideki Kamiya legendary video game series, there have been complaints that Devil May Cry takes time to move past excess amounts of exposition in its opening episodes, and lacks character development. These are problems that season 2 will almost certainly move beyond, although they’re faults to keep in mind for any potential live-action adaptation.
A Live-Action Devil May Cry Would Be The Ultimate Replacement Show For The Witcher
When it was released in 2025, Devil May Cry drew comparisons with Castlevania, as another video game about demon-hunting that Netflix has turned into an anime. However, parallels with The Witcher are far more exciting, as the potential exists for a major live-action adaptation of Devil May Cry which could propel the franchise into the stratosphere.
The anime adaptation is already doing a better job of sticking to its source material that The Witcher has done on Netflix. But a live-action version of Devil May Cry would be a whole different kind of demon-slaying for Dante. Netflix need only look at what’s happened to Geralt of Rivia to understand the prospective pitfalls of such an adaptation.
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Devil May Cry
6/10
Release Date April 3, 2025
Network Netflix
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Johnny Yong Bosch
Dante / Soldier #1 (voice)
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Chris Coppola
Enzo / Frat Boy (voice)
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The Witcher
6/10
Release Date December 20, 2019
Network Netflix
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Anya Chalotra
Yennefer of Vengerberg
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English (US) ·