The Big Picture

In an interview with Collider, Liam Hemsworth talks about replacing Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher, sparking excitement and debate.
Hemsworth admits he feels prepared and excited to take on the iconic role, despite the unexpected transition.
Season 4 aims to remain faithful to the books, with Hemsworth ready to do justice to the character.

In a bold move that sparked both excitement and debate among fans, Netflix’s hit series The Witcher is gearing up for a significant change as Liam Hemsworth steps into the iconic role of Geralt of Rivia for Season 4, previously held by Henry Cavill. Audiences got their first sneak peek at the actor’s smooth transition this past spring with a tease from the streaming platform of the gruff warrior who slayed monsters in the show’s first three seasons. With Cavill having officially passed the torch to Hemsworth, the actor tells Collider exclusively while talking about his new Netflix film Lonely Planet that the entire situation was a “unique” one that no one anticipated, but he’s very excited about it.

“I don’t think many actors have ever dealt with — apart from maybe the people that have played the Doctor Who characters over the years, because predominantly the rest of the cast has stayed the same, but the lead actor has changed,” Hemsworth said, adding how his addition feels a lot like starting school where everyone knows each other, but without the feelings of being an outsider. “Everyone has been nothing but welcoming and extremely aware of what the situation is.”

Liam Hemsworth Is a “Massive Fan” of ‘The Witcher’
“I’d played the video game 10 years ago… and was a massive fan.”
Image via Netflix

Last year, The Witcher producers Steve Gaub and Tomek Baginski conveyed their confidence in the transition from Cavill to Hemsworth, stating it would be a “flawless” one that adheres closely to the lore of the books. While the aim of Season 4 is to remain faithful to the source material, one of the rumored reasons Cavill departed the series was because it allegedly departed from author Andrzej Sapkowski’s books.

But Hemsworth says it all boiled down to a call from Netflix two years ago. “I was told the situation and was told that they were gonna move ahead with this show [following Cavill’s exit] and the rest of the cast wanted to move ahead with it,” he says. “And they asked me to do it. As a fan of the video game, I’d played the video game 10 years ago or something and was a massive fan.”

Hemsworth said he began to watch the TV show and delved deeper into the books, and it was then he felt ready to take on Geralt of Rivia’s character. “The idea of playing that character was really exciting,” he says. “I’m a big fan of fantasy worlds and films like The Lord of the Rings and to step into this character was daunting in a lot of ways, not only because of the obvious — that someone else had been playing this character and there’s a big fan base behind it that cares about that character — but I was asked to do the job and I honestly felt like I could come in and do something cool with it.”

The Hunger Games star admits that, as a fan of the character, he is proud to have the opportunity to go and do just that. “It was really exciting and scary at the same time. But you know, I think at times when you feel that fear and that doubt, you’ve kind of got to jump and take that risk.”

Taking on ‘The Witcher” With Its “Risks” Motivated Hemsworth
“I’m looking forward to doing the next season, next year.”

It’s a move that also motivated the actor to “really prepare for the job” and do as much as he can so that fans feel he’s doing justice to the role. “When I turned up to set… I was ready to play that part and felt comfortable in those shoes, and it’s been a great experience,” he says, adding he has three more weeks of shooting. “It’s been an incredible year, and I’m looking forward to doing the next season, next year. I’m very excited about it.”

Netflix has not yet announced a return date for The Witcher as the series is still filming, but the streaming network has revealed a long list of stars joining the show, including Laurence Fishburne as the fan-favorite character Regis, alongside Sharlto Copley, James Purefoy, and Danny Woodburn. Whatever happens, the transition will no doubt be seamless, as Season 3 saw a significant turning point for Geralt of Rivia.

In the final episodes, Geralt was severely injured after facing off against the power mage, Vilgefortz (Mahesh Jadu). This battle became an influential moment in the series, as Geralt, who is usually characterized as an invincible fighter, was decisively defeated by Vilgefortz. Following this loss, Geralt was left physically and emotionally broken, with his injuries pushing him to temporarily step away from his role as protector of Ciri. It’s this transition that has helped mark Cavill’s last appearance as Geralt and set the stage for Hemsworth’s arrival. Though the showrunners have hinted that Season 4 will bring some sort of transition to Geralt’s appearance, they have not specified how this change will happen, but it creates room for a significant shift for the character.

The Witcher is available to stream on Netflix. Look for our full interview with Liam Hemsworth and Laura Dern for Lonely Planet soon.

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