Liam Hemsworth has finally made his The Witcher debut – and fans of the Netflix series have weighed in with thoughts.
The Hunger Games actor has taken over the lead role of Geralt for the fourth season of the hit fantasy adaptation, with the part having previously been played by Superman actor Henry Cavill.
Reports have suggested that creative differences were part of the reason behind Cavill’s departure, with Hemsworth’s tenure as the character set to last through to the series’ fifth and final season.
After the latest batch of episodes arrived on the streaming service on Friday (31 October), fans have shared their thoughts on the change on social media.
Some praised Hemsworth’s work on the series, with one person writing on X/Twitter: “Season 4 of The Witcher is good, I really like Liam Hemsworth as Geralt. I prefer him over him Henry and [I] loved Henry”
However, there were many criticisms of Hemsworth’s vocal delivery, which marked a clear change from Cavill.
“Liam Hemsworth has given Geralt three different accents and I’m only 20 minutes in bro why do men gotta ruin everything,” one person quipped.
“I'm trying to give Liam Hemsworth a chance but my god I hate his Geralt a lot. The way he talks is genuinely grating,” wrote another.
“Henry Cavill please come back,” someone else commented. “I love Liam Hemsworth and he looks exactly like Geralt but the voice!!!! No one does it better than you.”
“It appears Liam Hemsworth asked Prince Harry to do his voice work for Witcher,” another person joked.
One fan wrote: “I feel like the people that keep saying Hemsworth's Geralt has more depth and emotion than Cavill's Geralt didn't watch the earlier seasons. The only negative thing I have against the new Geralt is that the voice just doesn't fit.”
Reviewing the new season of The Witcher for The Independent, critic Nick Hilton awarded the season two stars, describing Hemsworth as a “huge downgrade”.
“Nobody is really interested in where The Witcher’s messy plot is going in this fourth season,” he wrote. “There’s only one question on everyone’s mind: how does Liam Hemsworth fare as Geralt? The decision to replace Henry Cavill was an odd one. Cavill was the best thing about the show and had long been a champion for adapting Sapkowski’s work. The departure was apparently mutual, though rumours about on-set friction have swirled.
“Hemsworth is an intriguing replacement: he has the same leading-man good looks but softer features, and big, pleading eyes. His Geralt lacks either the physicality or emotional gravitas of Cavill’s, and his thinner voice (Cavill communicated only with a low growl) accentuates this difference. Giving Hemsworth all the grace in the world for stepping into such a difficult role, it’s impossible to avoid feeling like this is a huge downgrade.”
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