Season four of Netflix’s The Witcher not only brings us a new chapter of the beloved fantasy series but also a new leading man. Liam Hemsworth has since dished on what it’s like taking on the role of Geralt the Rivia, originally played by Henry Cavill.
In October 2022, The Witcher fanbase was shook to its core after Netflix and Cavill confirmed that he would be ending his time as Geralt after season three, with Hemsworth stepping into the White Wolf’s armour.
“My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season four,” Cavill wrote in an Instagram post.
“In my stead, the fantastic Mr Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf. 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.”
Ahead of season four’s release — which drops today BTW — Hemsworth admitted to PEDESTRIAN.TV. that taking on the role was “really exciting” and “a little daunting as well”, acknowledging that Cavill had made such a big impact as the character of Geralt.
“I definitely felt like there was a responsibility to the fans and anyone who’s watched this show before,” Hemsworth said.
“It definitely wasn’t lost on me that people cared about this world so much and these characters, and I think it just motivated me to make sure that I understood where this character was at, coming into my journey and where he’d been and what his motivation was moving forward.”
Reflecting on his transition into the role of Geralt, Hemsworth said the cast and everyone in production were “welcoming” and “so kind”, making his journey as the beloved knight “so easy”.
“Everyone was constantly just offering up support, and it was a really lovely group of people to step into,” Hemsworth added.
You can watch our full interview with The Witcher cast below:
Why did Henry Cavill leave The Witcher?
As we touched on, Cavill and Netflix sent absolute SHOCKWAVES when the news of his departure was shared. At the time, when it was first announced, fans speculated that the Superman star had ditched the fantasy series over creative differences, in particular the show’s writers’ “open disdain for the books, games and fans themselves”, as per Buzzfeed.
While the theory was never officially confirmed by Netflix or Cavill himself, the star did admit that he struggled working with the writers in a 2021 interview with Filipino publication PhilStar, a year before he’d officially leave the show.
“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,” Cavill told the publication.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, The Witcher showrunner Lauren Hissrich revealed Cavill decided to leave the show.
“He had plans for other roles that he really wanted to commit himself to,” she said.
“And for us, you don’t want to hold someone and force them to be doing something that they don’t want to do. I think that’s why it felt like a really symbiotic decision.”
Honestly, as a fellow Aussie baddie, we have to give our props to Hemsworth for taking up the role. Everyone knows stepping to Cavill’s plate is not easy, and judging by the trailer, it looks like the youngest Hemsworth bro has truly given his all for the role of Geralt!
We will be watching, with grace, for this diva.
The Witcher Season Four drops October 30, AKA Today, on Netflix.
Interview: Simran Pasricha.
The post Liam Hemsworth Opens Up About Replacing Henry Cavill As The Lead On The Witcher S4 appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
