The first five episodes of season three of The Witcher dropped on Netflix earlier this week after a tumultuous and controversial couple of months regarding the future of some of its cast members. The new content has already been subject to a lot of debate, only adding to the unrest among the fanbase, who for the most part are incensed that Henry Cavill is being dropped as Geralt of Rivia, one of the main characters the show. But who will be replacing the Superman actor, and what do fans have to say about it all? Read ahead if you want to know who is replacing Henry Cavill as Geralt in The Witcher, and what the fandom think of the new replacement.
What is The Witcher?
The Witcher is a Netflix series, adapted from a series of three short story collections and six novels by the Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. There are also a number of video games in the franchise, with releases stretching back to 2007. The Witcher is set on an unnamed world, with most of the action taking place on the north of a landmass called the Continent, which suffers from great snowfall during the winter and is populated by a number of horrific, dangerous creatures.
In The Witcher world there are a number of different beings, including elves, humans, mages, and the titular witchers, who are humans trained in magic so that they can defeat the various monsters that inhabit the world, making it safer for their fellow men and women. The Witcher has a rich lore and history, with much of it based on Eastern European folktales and ideas, and as a result of the games has become one of the most popular fantasy book series’ of all time. The Netflix adaptations have also been well regarded, with season two achieving critical acclaim from fans and newcomers to the series alike.
Who is Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher?
Geralt of Rivia is effectively the main protagonist in The Witcher, across the books, games, and Netflix series (although the books often delve further into the lives of other characters). From the Wolf School of Witchers, Geralt is widely considered to be one of the most talented wielders of magic in the world, and his adventures take place in the 13th century. He has a number of non-witcher companions and friends, too, many of whom help him through various issues that he can’t tackle alone, even with his awesome power.
Geralt is driven by a number of factors, but one of the main ones is his love for Yennefer, a sorceress with whom he has a passionate but tumultuous relationship. Ironically, he isn’t actually from the region of Rivia, but in order to not draw suspicion to himself has adopted their accent at points during The Witcher. One of the reasons that Geralt is believed to be so powerful is that he picked up additional mutations while training to be a witcher, which gave him super strength and speed. While his job is mainly to destroy the monsters that inhabit the world and keep humankind safe, Geralt often finds himself battling his fellow kin, who prove themselves to be just as (if not more) dangerous than the beings witchers are supposed to keep at bay.
Who is replacing Henry Cavill as Geralt in The Witcher?
Noted nerd and fan of the series Henry Cavill has played Geralt for three seasons of The Witcher, but is due to be replaced by Liam Hemsworth for season four of the fantasy series. The Aussie is a seasoned actor and has had several high profile parts in a number of films and television shows, although his fantasy pedigree is somewhat lacking. With that said, he has appeared in The Hunger Games franchise, and has plenty of action experience, so he should slot well into the show.
Why is Liam Hemsworth replacing Henry Cavill as Geralt in The Witcher?
There hasn’t been a real reason given as to why Hemsworth is replacing Cavill, but many believe that the latter butted heads with producers as he wanted the character of Geralt to be more true to the books. In December 2021, he told Philstar:
“It’s important for me to have the character be three-dimensional. And it’s tricky to do, as I was saying earlier, because there’s a certain vision and there’s a certain set storyline and plot. And so, it was about me trying to find Geralt’s place within that. All of my asks and requests were along the lines of just being faithful to the source material.”
However, there are other reasons he may have parted ways with the show. One is that he’s signed up for a real passion project: a Warhammer series, and is also set to star in a Guy Ritchie movie. So, despite his love of The Witcher, he may have simply had too much on his plate. With that said, he’s barely done any press for season three of the Netflix series, which does point to some kind of schism or tension between him and the rest of the show’s team.
What do fans think of Liam Hemsworth as Geralt in The Witcher?
Reception to Hemsworth as Geralt has been mixed, with the initial furore being generally negative, as shown by this thread on the /r/television subreddit when the decision was announced a few months ago. However, many other fans were quick to point out that Hemsworth shouldn’t be judged just yet, even if losing Cavill was devestating to many of them.
It is looking good for fans of the series, though: Hemsworth is apparantly “devouring” Witcher content in preparation, so he can bring the same level of commitment to the role that Cavill did.
Really, the only thing fans of the series can do for now is wait until season four to drop. Only then will they see whether Hemsworth is a worthy successor to the nerdy Brit. But, for now, there’s still the rest of season three to come, and Cavill’s last stand as Geralt has seen him earning some rave reviews, even if the season itself is receiving a lukewarm reception.