Henry Cavill, after appearing as the Geralt of Rivia for a total of three seasons in Netflix’s The Witcher, bid farewell to the role, much to the heartbreak of fans around the world. The actor who would end up replacing him was always going to have a humungous task ahead of him, considering the weight of expectations and the fact that Cavill’s portrayal of the character was definitionally iconic.
Liam Hemsworth was speedily announced as the replacement, and fans have since wondered exactly how the showrunners will attempt to introduce the new actor seamlessly. The task has reportedly been completed by delving into flashback scenes featuring some of Cavill’s most iconic moment as the Geralt of Rivia.
According to reports, Season 4 opens with a series of flashback accounts from people around 100 years after the events of Season 3, when Cavill’s acts as the character have already become a part of legend. The scenes in themselves will feature Liam Hemsworth replacing the former Superman, which is why he has been seen wearing Season 2 armour in the initial teaser.
Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt of Rivia will be introduced in this way, on The Witcher
They will be corrected by Stribog, who reportedly utters things such as “That didn’t happen” or “He didn’t look like that,” with the flashback scenes getting more accurate as the group comes closer to the truth. (Games Radar)
It is unclear as of now, whether scenes related to the ‘wrong accounts’ of the legend will depict Henry Cavill as the Geralt of Rivia. However, it is clear that the show will introduce Hemsworth towards the conclusion of this discussion, which will effectively present the actor as the only face of the Geralt of Rivia. Furthermore, Redanian Intelligence states that Anya Chalotra‘s Yennefer will also be present during this scene, although it is unclear whether she will also be a part of the flashback scenes or not.
Regardless, with Netflix not having yet announced the release date for the upcoming penultimate Season 4, fans will simply have to wait, in order to see exactly how Liam Hemsworth ambles into his new role.
The Witcher Season 4 is the penultimate iteration of the series
There are plenty of reasons why Henry Cavill’s departure has left the show in a delicate position. The actor had effectively taken over the role and was for years recognized as the face of the iconic protagonist. He had gone to great lengths to portray it perfectly, and would even grunt regularly on the screen, akin to the way in which the character acted in the video game.
That seems to be the biggest reason why Hemsworth’s announcement was bound to disappoint fans. Rather than the actor being deemed unworthy or unsuitable for the character, it is the iconic portrayal of his predecessor that has left him in a delicately difficult position with respect to the role. Still, considering the fact that he is ideal, at least as far as physical features and dimensions are concerned.
Regardless, Cavill has already done most of the job, with Season 4 of The Witcher confirmed to be its penultimate iteration. The series will end with Season 5, while a spinoff series on the Rats that saved Ciri back in Season 3 reportedly scrapped as well. Instead, a new anime series titled Sirens of the Deep will see Doug Cockle reprise his former role as Geralt.
The first three seasons of The Witcher are currently available to be watched on Netflix.
