Just recently, I reviewed the entirety of the Fallout show and had a blast doing so. If you haven’t watched that show already, I highly recommend that you do – it’s worth your time, and you’ll have fun watching it, even if you’re not necessarily a fan of the Fallout franchise. One thing stands out about that show that no one is really talking about. And that is the fact that Fallout was produced by Amazon, the same ones who delivered us the atrocious first season of Rings of Power on a $1 billion platter. The public perception of Amazon as a streaming platform has seemingly changed overnight, and there’s even a buzz around the second season of Rings of Power (don’t just take my word for it). People are clearly giving Amazon another chance on a project, that up until now, had been disregarded completely. Now, you’re probably wondering what any of that has to do with The Witcher, Netflix, and Liam Hemsworth. Well, I’m here to argue that perhaps the fanbase (including myself) shouldn’t be so quick to disregard the upcoming seasons of The Witcher and that Liam warrants a chance at portraying our beloved Geralt.
Henry Cavill’s Departure
I’ll be the first to admit I was upset and shocked when the news broke that Henry Cavill would depart The Witcher after Season 3. We can all agree that he was the perfect cast for the role – Cavill was incredible as Geralt. The gruff voice, the ripped physique, that glorious white wig. He genuinely seemed like he was born to play the role straight out of the games and books. He is also a massive fan of The Witcher himself; in that sense, many of us can relate to him. It should come as no surprise then that he quickly gained the endearment of fans, and why we are still heartbroken by his departure from the show to this day.
So why did he leave? The exact reasons and motivations we’ll never know. That’s between him and the producers, and whatever they are, I respect them. What we do know, from various interviews, is that there was a strong disagreement between him and the writers’ room. During a 2021 interview with The Philippine Star, Cavill revealed that his greatest challenge during the filming of The Witcher was reconciling the showrunners’ vision with his own desires as a fan regarding the direction of the series.
“The toughest part for me was finding that balance between the showrunners’ vision and my love for the books, and trying to bring that Geralt to the showrunners’ vision. It’s about treading a fine line there. It’s the showrunners’ story and so it’s an adaptation. The tricky bit for me was finding Geralt from the books’ place within that and being able to serve both as much as I could.”
Furthermore, when you consider that seasons 4 and 5 will be filmed back-to-back, one could speculate that Henry opted not to renew his contract with Netflix to avoid a prolonged hiatus from other movie or show projects. Maybe the prospect of reprising his role as Superman was a consideration that was taken into account when he made the decision. Regardless, the way I see it, no one should feel forced to do something they don’t want to, and if he wasn’t happy or his scheduling simply did not allow him to commit to further seasons of the show, then he has all the right to step away.
And let’s not forget, this is the Henry Cavill we’re talking about. I’m sure he had more lucrative and creatively satisfying projects to work on, like his upcoming Warhammer series backed by Amazon. In this show, he’ll not only be the executive producer but also take on a starring role. Anyone who knows anything about Henry Cavill knows he loves Warhammer and is an avid army builder. You can expect this show to very likely be an instant success when it does premiere.
Recasting Geralt
With the imminent departure of Henry Cavill from The Witcher, there was a pressing need to find the next leading star of the show. This process did not take long, as it was immediately revealed that Liam Hemsworth had been chosen to don the mantle of Geralt of Rivia for seasons 4 and 5.
To say that this spurred controversy would be a major understatement. The knee-jerk reaction to Liam’s casting was skeptical at best. Fans are simply not happy with Liam stepping in to fill the void left behind by Henry. And ever since that announcement was made, fans started to disregard the series as a whole. Season 3 had the lowest viewership of the series so far, and there is a consensus online that seasons 4 and 5 won’t fare any better either.
And you know what, I get it.
The show has a lot of issues, it’s not just Henry’s departure that’s changed the perception of the show. A major complaint throughout the series is that the producers of the show have deviated too far from the source material – a gripe that Henry Cavill shares with fans. Season 2 was divisive with its treatment of characters like Eskel and Vesemir. It certainly doesn’t help either when Andrzej Sapkowski, the creator of The Witcher, says that he felt ignored by the show producers, with his ideas dismissed entirely. To top it all off, or really what started the domino effect of negative press, was a report stating that the show’s writers “actively disliked the books and games.” No matter how you slice it, this affected how fans and the general public perceived the show, and it hasn’t been the same since.
And because of all this, fans have not taken the news of Liam portraying Geralt kindly. However, why exactly are fans of the show so quick to dismiss Liam as a viable actor capable of delivering an honest and passionate portrayal of Geralt? Is it because he’s not Henry Cavill? I mean, I understand where the sentiment comes from – Cavill is a great actor; I saw him recently on the big screen while watching The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, and he was as great as ever. But Liam is also a great actor in his own right.
Why Liam Is A Great Choice To Portray Geralt
Liam Hemsworth has almost two decades of experience in the entertainment biz, and that alone says a lot about his acting chops – you don’t stick around that long without some serious talent. His resume covers all kinds of projects, from TV shows to big blockbuster movies.
Liam Hemsworth has almost two decades of experience in the entertainment biz, and that alone says a lot about his acting chops – you don’t stick around that long without some serious talent. His resume covers all kinds of projects, from TV shows to big blockbuster movies.
Of course, one of Hemsworth’s huge standout roles that really put him on the map was playing Gale Hawthorne in The Hunger Games series. As someone who grew up reading those books and loved the movies, I’m pretty familiar with what he can do as an actor.
Let’s be real, acting alongside someone as talented as Jennifer Lawrence takes more than just skills – you need a strong presence that commands attention. For that, he definitely deserves the benefit of the doubt from us fans.
What I’ve noticed is there are tons of parallels between Hemsworth’s past roles and Geralt’s character. In “The Hunger Games,” Gale shows determination and resilience, just like Geralt’s stoicism in tough situations. Both characters navigate morally gray worlds with a strong sense of duty and honor. In “The Dressmaker,” Hemsworth tapped into the emotional depth of his character wrestling with personal conflicts. That ability to convey inner turmoil is so fitting for Geralt’s own internal struggles, especially his search for identity and purpose when the world often misunderstands him. Geralt is also known for his prowess in combat, a trait echoed in Hemsworth’s roles where physicality is central, like “Independence Day: Resurgence,” “The Expendables 2”, and more recently, “Land of Bad.” Even in romantic roles like “The Last Song,” where Hemsworth got to flex his romantic side, you still see that quiet strength and protectiveness that totally aligns with Geralt’s devotion to loved ones.
The quiet power, the inner battles, the loyalty, the love – those qualities define Geralt. Liam has already shown he has what it takes to nail Geralt’s character. There’s a reason he was hand-picked for this role, after all.
The State Of The Witcher Going Forward
You might not like Henry’s departure or the decisions Netflix has made surrounding The Witcher, but none of that is Liam’s fault. He wasn’t part of those decisions; he’s simply stepping in as a replacement. All he did was accept a fantastic job opportunity, yet he’s facing unwarranted criticism due to factors beyond his control. And that’s not fair to him.
We’ve seen plenty of times when recasting iconic roles ended up working out. For example, when they brought in Robert Downey Jr. to play Iron Man, everyone thought that was gonna flop, but RDJ reinvented the role in his own way and knocked it out of the park. Or when Heath Ledger got cast as Joker, and all the fans raged, only for him to deliver one of the most iconic comic book performances ever.
So am I saying Liam Hemsworth as Geralt will be an instant home run? Hell no, I’m not setting expectations that high. But I am saying he deserves a legit chance to prove himself before we declare this a dumpster fire of a recasting decision. If the writers have a clear new vision, and he brings his A-game, who’s to say he can’t make this role his own badass take on Geralt?
Luis is a writer based in The Lone Star State. His work has appeared on multiple blogs, covering a wide range of topics. When he’s not writing about The Witcher or Cyberpunk, you’ll typically find him in the mosh pit of a heavy metal concert, trying new dishes, or watching/playing sports.
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