To the disappointment of many fans, Henry Cavill is leaving Netflix's The Witcher, which means that the lead role of Geralt of Rivia will be recast for Season 4 and beyond.
It was already confirmed who will be taking over for Cavill - none other than The Hunger Games actor Liam Hemsworth.
Part 2 of Season 3 of The Witcher just recently aired on Netflix, meaning that Cavill's time with the show is officially at an end.
With Hemsworth now in the spotlight of one of Netflix's biggest shows, here is everything you need to know for the future.
Why Henry Cavill Is Being Recast
The Witcher is one of the most popular shows in Netflix's library, so the changing of lead actors will be a major adjustment for not only the cast but the fans as well.
The exact reason that Cavill decided to step away from the role is unknown. However, the star did so in a respectful and private manner, making sure not to cause any unnecessary drama.
When news first broke of Cavill leaving the show, it was immediately accompanied by the fact that the star was looking to star in more DC films as Superman following his cameo appearance in Black Adam.
This immediately caused many fans to put two and two together and theorize that playing both Geralt and Superman would be too much.
However, once James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as co-CEOs of DC Studios and started planning their own universe, it was announced that the decision was made not to bring Cavill back as the Man of Steel.
Rumors also swirled that Cavill and The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich didn't exactly see eye-to-eye on set.
Since the production of Season 2, Cavill reportedly asked that the show stay more faithful to Andrzej Sapkowski's novels and even came up with his own ideas for the direction the series could take, only for those suggestions to be denied.
As previously mentioned, the true reason that Cavill decided to leave is unknown. However, a report from Deadline in October 2022 stated that the actor had originally signed a short-term deal to play Geralt and that he chose not to renew his contract.
Why Fans Are Upset That Henry Cavill Is Leaving The Witcher
When the news broke that Liam Hemsworth would be taking over for Henry Cavill, most fans were extremely disappointed, to say the least.
A lot of them weren't necessarily knocking Hemsworth, they just love Cavill's version of Geralt so much that they didn't want to let that go.
Many viewers have publicly expressed how Cavill was a perfect choice to play Geralt. He obviously looked the part by being so physically in shape and being able to perfectly sport the white-haired wig, but the actor also had a vast knowledge of the lore and source material and was incredibly passionate about the character.
Many fans openly talked about how Cavill was by far the best part of the show. He was able to give some viewers a great sense of enjoyment every time he was on-screen, which is one of the many reasons that Season 3 wasn't received particularly well.
A petition was even created to keep Cavill in the role. As of this writing, it currently has over 321,000 signatures, and those that have signed have also expressed their desires to have the writers of the show replaced instead.
In short, fans are so upset that Cavill was recast due to how well he fits the role and how much they enjoyed seeing him. Liam Hemsworth will undoubtedly give it his best, but The Witcher just won't be the same without its leading star in the eyes of many.
Did Netflix Make a Mistake?
While it was ultimately Cavill's decision to walk away from the role, some blame for the recasting has to be put on Netflix as well.
When they first offered the actors their respective roles, it seems as though the contracts they signed were only for three seasons. Many popular Netflix shows operate on this same basis, and after a third season, the actors are presented with new contracts.
If Netflix truly wanted to keep Cavill on for the long haul, they could have taken a chance and offered him a massive contract both in longevity and in financial terms before the series had even started.
This would have ensured that he would have stayed on for the entire show, and they wouldn't be at such a roadblock now with having to start Season 4 with a new lead actor.
This decision will ultimately come back to haunt Netflix in the long run. The viewership numbers for Season 3 of The Witcher are already down significantly and they will likely continue to trend downward unless the cast and crew come swinging for the fences during Season 4.
Once again, there is no disrespect meant toward Liam Hemsworth, as he is not to blame for any of this.
It just seems as though the show as a whole is starting to sink rapidly and he just happened to jump on at the wrong time.
Liam Hemsworth's Role in Season 4 of The Witcher
Season 3 of The Witcher did seem to follow the source material more closely than the first two installments.
The most recent batch of episodes took inspiration from the fourth book in the series, Time of Contempt, so fans can likely expect Season 4 to loosely adapt the next book, Baptism of Fire.
If Season 4 does follow that novel, it will really see Geralt on a revenge tour. Without getting into spoiler territory, he will make it his personal mission to find the real Ciri and get her back.
That being said, fans can expect to see a lot of action in Season 4 from Hemsworth.
Season 4 will also likely feature Geralt in a more prominent role than in Season 3. In Baptism of Fire, he is really front and center on his search for Ciri, so that will likely translate over to the screen in the same way.
How Well Will Liam Hemsworth Portray Geralt?
Liam Hemsworth will undoubtedly try to bring Geralt to life in Season 4 of The Witcher just as much as Henry Cavill did.
Like Cavill, Hemsworth has the physical properties to make Geralt continue to look the part of a monster-hunting Witcher.
However, seeing as how the two are obviously not the same actor, Hemsworth will also likely incorporate some of his own unique elements into the role.
The actor's role in The Hunger Games will undoubtedly give him the upper hand when playing Geralt as well.
Of course, the dystopian world of that movie series is not the same as a high-fantasy world, but the two do share some similar elements and Hemsworth will be able to use his Hunger Games experience to help him along on the Netflix show.
At the end of the day, his voice may be different and his physical appearance may look different, but Liam Hemsworth will likely give everything he has to make Geralt of Rivia just as likable and menacing as Henry Cavill did.
