With "The Witcher" preparing for its fourth season, Liam Hemsworth is stepping into the iconic role of Geralt of Rivia, succeeding Henry Cavill after three seasons.
Hemsworth was announced as Cavill’s replacement back in 2022, and with Season 4 set to premiere on October 30, he admitted that the fan response initially pushed him to retreat from the online world.
Credit: Netflix
“There was quite a bit of noise and I had to put that aside. It started to become a distraction,” Hemsworth told Entertainment Weekly. “I dealt with that sort of thing in the past a lot and, you know, at the end of the day, I love making movies and I love telling stories and acting. I just don’t want any of that to affect my way of telling the story that I’m trying to tell.”
Reports at the time revealed that Cavill had only signed a short-term contract for the fantasy series and ultimately chose to step away, citing the demanding international production schedule.
Cavill praised his successor, saying: “As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam’s take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men. Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find.”
Credit: Charlie Grey / Entertainment Weekly
Freya Allan, who will return as Ciri in Season 4, has also spoken out in defense of Liam Hemsworth following the backlash. She told Collider: “I don’t want to speak for him, but from what I’ve understood, I feel like he’s really wanting to try and bring the heart. He’s been training. I feel sorry for him, honestly, because, number one, that fan base can be very attack-y, and it’s not an ideal situation to be in taking up someone else’s role.”
She added: “But I’m really excited to see what he does. And he’s such a lovely guy. I just hope that people give him the time of day, you know?”
Since the casting announcement, Netflix has already confirmed that "The Witcher" will continue with a fifth and final season, ensuring Hemsworth’s Geralt will see the saga through to its conclusion.
