Toss a Coin or Keep Passing: Why Hollywood Won’t Bet on Liam Hemsworth

So, Liam Hemsworth is officially the new Geralt of Rivia in Netflix's The Witcher. The internet… did not throw a parade. And honestly, that backlash is just one piece of a bigger story. Over the last decade, Hemsworth has racked up a strange mix of near-misses, box office faceplants, and messy headlines. If you’re wondering why studios don’t seem to be lining up for him, here’s the picture that’s emerged.

1. He lives in Chris Hemsworth’s shadow
   Fair or not, Liam is constantly framed as 'Chris Hemsworth’s brother' — and Chris is Thor, a legit global marquee name. The comparison problem started early. Liam even auditioned for Thor before Chris got it.

   'Better Chris than someone else.'

   That was Liam’s own shrug about losing the role (via ComicBookMovie.com). He has joked about their sibling chaos too — in a 2018 birthday tweet, he teased that he once threw a knife at Chris as kids. The point: the industry has always measured him against a superhero-sized yardstick, and that’s tough to beat.

2. His star turns haven’t ignited
   According to Koimoi, Hemsworth has led 10 films that combined for $474.5 million worldwide. On paper, that sounds fine. In practice, none of those titles turned him into a box office sure thing. He headlined movies like Love and Honor (2013, as Mickey Wright), Paranoia (2013, Adam Cassidy), Empire State (2013, Chris Potamitis), The Duel (2016, David Kingston), Independence Day: Resurgence (2016, Jake Morrison), Killerman (2019, Moe Diamond), Land of Bad (2024, JJ Kinney), and Lonely Planet (2024, Owen Brophy).

   The most recent attempt, Land of Bad, paired him with Russell Crowe in support. It grossed about $7 million on nearly a $25 million production budget (per IMDb). That is not the kind of math that gets studios excited about building vehicles around you.

3. His box office record is rough
   In the last decade, the only clear hit he was in was The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 — and he wasn’t the lead. Elsewhere, it gets dicey: Killerman (2019) took in around $619,000 (with no official budget disclosed). The Dressmaker (2015) made $22.6 million against a $17 million budget. Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) did $389.68 million worldwide on a $165 million budget — big number, but widely viewed as underperforming for a legacy sequel that expensive. Land of Bad, again, missed by a wide margin. One stumble happens. A pattern is a problem.

4. The Witcher recast is a PR minefield
   Taking over Geralt from Henry Cavill was always going to be a hard sell, but the backlash came in hot. YouTube comments under Season 4 promos were full of 'This will flop' and 'Boycott this.' On social media, some posts got downright nasty about his look and performance in the early footage. There was even a viral thread noting that Netflix’s own site still showed Cavill in places, which people dunked on as the streamer being in denial (that observation came via a tweet from Erik 'daibo' Kain on Oct. 12, 2025). After the initial announcement, Hemsworth largely went quiet — understandable, but it fed the narrative that the recast is a brand risk.

5. Critics say the range isn’t there
   This part is subjective, sure, but it comes up a lot. Over the years, reviewers have dinged Hemsworth for limited range — the general vibe being that he looks the part but doesn’t consistently bring the depth. TheGamer once boiled it down to: he has adequate acting chops and a conventional handsomeness that clicks with younger audiences more than anyone else. Hunger Games fans have also complained that some of his Gale scenes needed more emotional punch and came off flat, a sentiment echoed in Reddit threads. One opinion doesn’t define a career. A chorus starts to.

6. Onscreen chemistry has been a recurring issue
   When he plays the romantic lead, reviews often call out a lack of spark with his co-stars. Netflix’s Lonely Planet is the most recent example. Directed and written by Susannah Grant, it dropped Oct. 11, 2024 and stars Laura Dern opposite Hemsworth, with Diana Silvers, Younes Boucif, Adriano Giannini, and Rachida Brakni in support. It runs 1 hour 36 minutes, is set in Morocco, and follows a novelist at a retreat who falls for a younger man. Critics were not convinced by the pairing: The Washington Post’s Jen Yamato said the movie tries to will chemistry into existence and can’t get there. Ed Power at The Telegraph (via Yahoo) joked the leads orbited each other like repelling magnets and even quipped that Dern had more chemistry with the dinosaur poop in Jurassic Park. Going back further, critic Roger Moore said there was zero chemistry between Katniss and Gale in The Hunger Games. It’s harsh — but it’s also a theme.

7. The personal-life headlines won’t die
   The high-profile marriage and split with Miley Cyrus is still part of his public image. After Miley released Flowers, fans spun up theories that the song alluded to Hemsworth’s alleged infidelity, with social media chatter claiming 'over 14 women' in their shared home. Those are fan interpretations, not verified facts, but the narrative spread. More recently, a viral tweet claimed Miley said her ex used to mock her career ambitions — that she’d never get a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, a Grammy, or an Oscars invite. Again, that’s a social media claim, not a court record. TMZ previously reported that, according to its sources, Miley initially wanted to save the marriage but that the dealbreaker was Hemsworth allegedly drinking a lot and using certain drugs. Whether or not any of that is fair, the constant tabloid swirl makes him a PR gamble. Even tweets dunking on him as 'Miley Cyrus’s ex' — or jokingly labeling him 'Thor’s brother' — keep the baggage front and center.

Put all of that together and you get why studios might hesitate. The Witcher could be a reset if audiences buy him as Geralt. It could also cement the narrative if they don’t. Big swing, double-edged consequences.

Where are you at with Hemsworth-as-Geralt — cautiously optimistic, or already out?