By James Martin Liam Hemsworth has officially stepped into Geralt of Rivia’s shoes in The Witcher, and yes, he faced some intense backlash from fans. When Henry Cavill announced his departure from The Witcher in 2022, not all fans were pleased when Hemsworth was announced as his replacement.
So Witcher is going to be recapping scenes from S1 to S3 with Liam instead of Henry. A bit of a waste and what does that say about them in regards to Henry. He put everything into role and this is how repaying him.
Also replacing a few other cast members including Kim's Vesimer. pic.twitter.com/K55ou7C5lw
It looks alright I suppose but it's not Geralt. Liam is a fine actor but the shoes he is trying to fill are too big. Cavill is Geralt. Liam is discount Geralt. No matter, you all butchered the lore anyway.
You know the shows bad when Henry who's a massive fan of the series leaves the show
literally the worst news ever 😭 we won’t be watch ing anymore 💔
Now, with The Witcher Season 4 set to premiere this October, Hemsworth is opening up about how deeply the fan response impacted him. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he said,
There was quite a bit of noise and I had to put that aside. It started to become a distraction. 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.
Hemsworth says the backlash from fans was intense enough that he had to step away from social media.
I just don’t want any of that to affect my way of telling the story that I’m trying to tell. I jumped off social media and the internet most of last year.
Cavill’s version of the White Wolf had become iconic, and his exit after three seasons was met with disappointment. But Hemsworth didn’t engage with the controversy. Instead, he tuned it out to focus on the role.
The Witcher Showrunner and Cast Backed Liam Hemsworth Recast
Despite fan backlash, Hemsworth found strong support behind the scenes. The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and key cast members stood by his side throughout the transition. Hissrich shared,
I think he knew he was stepping into big shoes. It was really important to him to have certain things for continuity — and also certain things that he could invent so that his Geralt could stand on his own two feet.
Freya Allan, who plays Ciri, acknowledged the toxic nature of some fan reactions. Allan said she hopes fans would give him “the time of the day.” She told Collider:
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.
Even Henry Cavill, who portrayed Geralt for three seasons, showed public support for the recast( via Deadline). It is also revealed that Cavill exited after Season 3 due to scheduling and creative reasons.
What’s Ahead for The Witcher Season 4?
The Witcher Season 4 premieres on October 30, 2025, exclusively on Netflix. It marks the beginning of the final two chapters of the series, with Season 5 confirmed as the show’s last.
Liam Hemsworth makes his full debut as Geralt in Season 4, and Netflix recently released a teaser showing him in action. In the clip, Geralt battles a ghostly wraith using Witcher Signs like Aard and Yrden before destroying the creature with a powerful strike.
Hissrich describes Season 4 as a relaunch of sorts (via Tudum):
We also have this amazing opportunity, halfway through a series, to relaunch it— to say, Things are different, we’re coming out of the gate with a bang, and it’s bigger and better than ever.
New faces are also joining the cast. Laurence Fishburne appears as Regis, a mysterious barber-surgeon, alongside returning cast like Anya Chalotra (Yennefer), Freya Allan (Ciri), and Joey Batey (Jaskier).
Liam Hemsworth faced real backlash from Henry Cavill fans, but with the full support of the cast, showrunner, and even Cavill himself, he’s ready to show the world his version of Geralt.
Do you think Hemsworth could win over longtime fans? Let us know your thoughts
The Witcher Season 4 hits Netflix on October 30, 2025 (US).
