Henry Cavill walking away from The Witcher lit the fanbase on fire. Netflix moved fast and handed the swords to Liam Hemsworth (yes, the Australian one from The Hunger Games). Now the people in charge are explaining how this switch actually works, and what it means for Season 4.
Why Liam Hemsworth?
Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich says Hemsworth was her pick from the jump. In a chat with IGN, she admitted she was surprised he even took the call, which is pretty funny considering how obvious he felt to her once his name was on the table.
It was a surprising call for him. But for us, he felt like such a natural choice. And I’m still kind of gobsmacked that we got him.
The reasoning tracks: Hissrich pointed to Hemsworth's Hunger Games work, where he could be physically imposing and still let the emotional stuff through. That balance matters for Geralt, who can be terrifying one minute and quietly vulnerable the next.
Recasting Geralt meant more than swapping a wig
When Cavill left, the backlash was loud and relentless. Replacing him was never going to be as simple as plugging in a new face. Hissrich says the team had to rethink everything from Geralt's tone to how he moves, and a bunch of things they had never stress-tested before. This is the kind of ripple effect that touches every department, not just hair and makeup.
Season 4: Geralt talks (and opens up) more
Once Hemsworth signed on, Hissrich walked him through Geralt's full arc so far and then mapped out how to push the character forward. A clear shift is coming: this Geralt is more willing to speak, and he will have longer, meatier conversations than the show leaned into early on.
What Hemsworth is keeping from Cavill
Hemsworth isn't trying to overwrite what Cavill built. He is stepping in where last season left off and intentionally stitching his start to choices the character already made.
We tied a few of the earlier things that Henry had done when he was portraying the character to the beginning of me taking over the role... I didn't want to directly try to redo anything that he'd done.
Translation: continuity first. And yes, expect Geralt to crack a smile occasionally. The overall vibe is getting a shade brighter this time out — less morose, with a little more fun in the mix.
What to expect in Season 4
- Geralt is more talkative and emotionally open than in earlier seasons.
- The tone lightens up: less brooding, a bit more playful.
- Hemsworth leans into a blend of muscle and vulnerability similar to his Hunger Games presence.
- Production reworked Geralt's voice, movement, and physicality to fit the new performer.
- No reset button: Hemsworth's Geralt picks up directly from last season with nods to Cavill's established beats.
- Yes, Geralt smiles more — prepare yourselves.
The basics and the date
The Witcher launched on December 20, 2019, with Lauren Schmidt Hissrich running the show, and it currently sits at 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. Season 4 hits Netflix on October 30, 2025.
I get the hesitation — swapping out your lead midstream is dicey. But if they really thread Cavill's choices into Hemsworth's debut and open the character up without breaking him, there is a world where this works. Are you on board with the new White Wolf, or still in wait-and-see mode?