The Witcher Star Admits They Didn’t Want Liam Hemsworth to Replace Henry Cavill

Freya Allan is not sugarcoating how hard The Witcher recast was on her. In a new interview, she lays out exactly how Henry Cavill leaving hit her as both a co-star and the person playing Ciri — and why she briefly thought about walking too.

Finding out Henry was out — and what that did to Ciri

Talking to NME in an interview published December 4, 2025, Allan says she only found out Cavill was exiting a day before the news went public. Season 3 had already been tough on everyone, and losing the guy she describes as Ciri’s adoptive father figure on set pushed it over the edge for her.

'I cried because I wanted to finish the show with the guy that played my adoptive father.'

Heading into Season 4 without him felt strange, she says. For the first time, she was picturing what life after The Witcher might look like — and then the lead leaves. That combo made her seriously consider quitting; she spent a solid stretch weighing it before deciding to stay. Once she committed, she says she made the most of every moment.

Recast fallout: the rumor, the reality, and what Freya took on

The recast landed in 2023 when Cavill announced he was done as Geralt. Netflix never explained why. The long-circulating rumor: Cavill and showrunner Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich clashed over how faithful the series should be to Andrzej Sapkowski’s books. Not confirmed, but that’s the chatter that’s stuck around.

After he left, Allan stepped up behind the scenes in a way we don’t usually hear about. She became the one consistently flagging book details and pushing to keep key lines and moments intact, influenced by watching Cavill do exactly that.

'I really want to give fans what they want... When he left, I was inspired to take on that role.'

One example: she credits Netflix for not softening the Rats storyline. The brutal murder of the Rats is a turning point for Ciri in the books; Allan says filming those scenes was rough, but she was glad they went all the way rather than sanding it down. Ciri does not catch a break in this stretch, and Season 4 leans into some of her darkest beats — the kind of thing that can get trimmed on big platforms but, this time, wasn’t.

Liam Hemsworth, Season 4, and the backlash

Season 4 drew heavy criticism, especially aimed at Liam Hemsworth’s debut as Geralt. The switch was always going to be jarring, but the numbers reflected real drop-off: viewership fell 51% from Season 3 and 60% from Season 2, according to ComicBook.com.

Allan says the cast welcomed Hemsworth with open arms. What genuinely surprised her was how many complaints were aimed at moments that, in her view, came straight from the novels:

'The thing that’s surprised me most about season 4 is how many people have criticised things that are straight from the books.'

Despite the noise, she’s content with where Ciri lands. She says the final season took everything out of her and left her incredibly satisfied.

Quick hits

• Show: The Witcher
• Showrunner: Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich
• Seasons: 4 so far (Season 5 is planned as the final run; rumored for 2027)
• Production: Little Schmidt Productions, Hivemind, Platige Image
• Main cast: Liam Hemsworth, Freya Allan, Anya Chalotra, Joey Batey, Mahesh Jadu
• Scores: IMDb 7.9/10, Rotten Tomatoes 75%
• Where to watch (US): Netflix

Where this leaves Season 5

The recast is done, Season 4 is polarizing, and Allan has clearly planted a flag for book accuracy going into the endgame. If the show leans into that and sticks the landing, it might win back some lapsed viewers. Big 'if,' but not impossible.

Do you think Season 5 can bring people back after the blowback? I’m curious where you land.