Netflix is replacing Henry Cavill with Liam Hemsworth as The Witcher's Geralt of Rivia, but which one of them is leading the show into this summer's Season 3?
Following his short-lived comeback as Superman in Black Adam, Netflix announced in October that Henry Cavill will leave The Witcher, with The Hunger Games' Liam Hemsworth set to replace him as the series' lead character.
While most initially assumed, given the timing, Cavill was leaving his Netflix role to commit fully to playing Superman and the now-scrapped Man of Steel sequel, rumors have since claimed his exit came down to creative differences with showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich.
The Witcher Season 3: Henry Cavill or Liam Hemsworth?
The Witcher Season 3 was filmed from April to September 2022, wrapping up production around a month before the news of Cavill's exit. So, the British star had already completed production on the third season, meaning, yes, he will appear in Season 3 before giving up the role to Liam Hemsworth.
In a statement accompanying the news, Cavill confirmed his replacement, just weeks after wrapping filming on Season 3 and his final scenes:
"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 4. In my stead, the fantastic Mr Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf."
Cavill also expressed his excitement to see The Hunger Games star embody "this most fascinating and nuanced of men:"
"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."
The Witcher's Shaky Future After Season 3 Explained
The Witcher Season 3 has been announced to release in two parts, with the first five episodes premiering on June 29 before returning with Henry Cavill's final episodes on July 27. After that point, it's unclear exactly when fans will be able to catch Season 4 and get their first peak at Liam Hemsworth's Geralt.
There have been rumors Netflix may be looking to film The Witcher Season 4 and 5 back to back, with many speculating this may mark the end of the show. Exactly what the future holds for the show is likely still up in the air, even at Netflix, as any subsequent seasons will hinge on reactions to Hemsworth's Geralt.
Reactions to Cavill's departure were certainly less than pleased, with many uncertain of Hemsworth as a replacement lead. The Witcher universe faced even more trouble later in the year after the Blood Origin prequel spin-off was panned by both critics and audiences from the get-go.
Netflix will certainly be hoping to regain fans' favor with Season 3 as Cavill bows out of The Witcher. Hopefully, Hemsworth will be able to keep viewers around when he takes over as Geralt of Rivia when Season 4 comes to pass, probably in 2025 given the show's tendency to release a season bi-annually.
