The Witcher has announced Liam Hemsworth will be replacing Henry Cavill as Geralt and, although shocking to fans, the news really isn’t that bad.
The Witcher has recast Geralt for season 4 and Liam Hemsworth will be taking over from Henry Cavill, but the news really is not as bad as you think. Based on the books of the same name, Cavill has played Geralt, also known as the White Wolf, since 2019 when The Witcher first premiered on Netflix. The Witcher currently has two seasons on Netflix, with the third set to release mid-2023, and will continue to follow Andrzej Sapkowski books and Geralt’s adventures as a beast hunter with supernatural abilities.
The Witcher news that Liam Hemsworth will be replacing Henry Cavill as Geralt has caused backlash online from fans, but the recasting could work for Geralt and definitely does not mean the end of The Witcher world. Cavill is a huge fan of The Witcher world, and this massively helped him define Geralt and provide audiences with a faithful adaptation, but this does not mean Hemsworth will not be able to develop Geralt even further and prove he was the right choice for the recast. Plus, The Witcher has an excellent cast with plenty of stories to follow, such as Ciri's (Freya Allen) controversial storylines and Yennefer’s (Anya Chalotra) journey which can support Hemsworth’s transition into the role.
Henry Cavill embodies Geralt for a lot of fans of The Witcher, especially with his dedication to the lore of The Witcher and faithfulness to the books. However, Geralt as a character appeared in The Witcher books and games first, with no link to Cavill, so Cavill’s version of Geralt is one of many, and it is not bad that there will be another version. Although it is a big change for audiences when the main character is recast in a show, it is not the first time someone has been recast in a show, such as Game of Thrones' many recasts, and they can still be very successful. It will be challenging for The Witcher, but not show-ending, and it will not take long for audiences to get used to the change.
The Witcher has a seven-season plan to fully explore Geralt’s world, and it gives them lots of time for Hemsworth to make the role his own. Also, Cavill will still be Geralt for season 3 which has not been released yet, so there’s room for a story about character progression to ensure season 4 can embody the differences with a new actor positively.
Although Hemsworth replacing Cavill will be a big difference for The Witcher, it can still be a success with Hemsworth if season 3 is properly used to smooth out the transition between actors, while also addressing The Witcher's unanswered questions.
