The Witcher Detail Everyone Missed Proves Henry Cavill Outshines Liam Hemsworth as Geralt

The Witcher came back on October 30, 2025 with its first post-Henry Cavill season, and the early numbers are... not exactly roaring. Liam Hemsworth is wearing the medallion now, but the audience seems to be taking a wait-and-see approach.

By the numbers (and why they look messy)

Netflix now reports both 'views' and 'hours viewed,' and they do not measure the same thing over the same window every time, which makes comparisons a little annoying. That said, the trend is pretty clear.

• Season 4 (first 4 days): 7.4 million views, 143.3 million hours viewed
• Season 3 (first week in 2023): 15.2 million views, 73 million hours viewed
• Season 2 (first week): 142.3 million hours viewed

Stacking those side by side, Season 4 opened with roughly half the 'views' Season 3 pulled, which is a steep drop (about 50%, per ScreenRant). On hours, Season 4 racked up more in four days than Season 2 did in a full week, but because Netflix is mixing windows and metrics here, you get the picture without a perfect apples-to-apples: this is the softest start the show has had.

Where it landed on the charts

Netflix itself still gave the show a bit of a victory lap. In its weekly Tudum rundown, The Witcher Season 4 took the No. 2 slot on the English TV list with 7.4 million views in its first four days. The top spot went to Nobody Wants This Season 2 at 9.4 million views. Netflix framed Witcher as one of its spooky-weekend go-tos, which is a nice spin, but the week-to-week ranking does not erase the franchise-low opening.

The casting question everyone had

Season 4 officially hands Geralt over to Liam Hemsworth, and whether fair or not, the numbers suggest Cavill was a big part of the initial draw. That does not mean Hemsworth cannot win people over, but the early turnout says his debut did not spark a surge. If you felt the show leaned on Cavill’s gruff charm in the early going, you are not alone.

What Season 4 actually does

Beyond the recast, the season splits up the core trio across the Continent: Geralt, Ciri (Freya Allan), and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) are all on their own tracks. The big new face is Laurence Fishburne as Regis, which is a fun swing for longtime book fans.

Reception so far

Critics and audiences are not in sync on this one:

Rotten Tomatoes: 59% (critics) and 19% (audience). IMDb: 7.9/10.

That audience score is rough, even by franchise TV standards. The IMDb number looks friendlier, but the spread tells you there is some whiplash in how people are feeling about the direction.

Season 5: the endgame (and it is already in the can)

Netflix has already called Season 5 the final chapter. Filming is finished and the show is in post-production now (per What’s On Netflix). The plan is to release it in autumn or winter 2026, or possibly 2027 if things slip. The last run adapts the final books in Andrzej Sapkowski’s saga: The Tower of the Swallow and The Lady of the Lake. Hemsworth, Anya Chalotra, and Freya Allan are back for the conclusion.

'We have the ending. And there were certain things — I mean, the books go a little crazy. And I say that with the most deference because I love them. We lean so hardcore into fantasy at the end in wonderful ways that Sapkowski introduced us to. So we knew the stories that we needed to end with.'

That is showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich talking to Dexerto, and if you read between the lines, it sounds like the finale will swing big on the fantasy elements. Which is probably the right call if you are aiming for a proper send-off.

The bottom line

Season 4 debuted at No. 2 for the week, but opened with the lowest numbers the series has seen. The 50% drop from last season’s view count strongly hints that Cavill’s exit hurt interest. The good news is the end is mapped out, Laurence Fishburne is a cool addition, and the final season is already locked in.

The Witcher Season 4 is streaming now on Netflix (US). Curious how Hemsworth works for you as Geralt? I am too — and Season 5 will be the real test of whether he can carry the finish line on his back.