Fans were beyond disappointed to discover Henry Cavill would be handing the Geralt of Rivia name to Australian actor Liam Hemsworth – but could he be prove The Witcher fans wrong?
After three incredible and jaw-dropping seasons, it was announced in October 2022 that Henry would be walking away from The Witcher – despite many believing he was born for this role. In May 2024, fans received their first look at Liam in the Geralt white wig.
Unfortunately, some fans shared the same sentiment that The Witcher isn’t the same without Henry. But there were a few Witcher fans prepared to give the young Aussie a chance.
“I’ll give him a chance. People need to learn how to be less mean!” one fan commented.
“Why does he still look like Henry Cavill or is it my eyes playing games on me??”
Another wrote: “I’m gonna give Liam Hemsworth a chance here. Who knows? He could be terrible. Or he could be pretty not bad at all. I’ll make up my mind once I’ve seen the full performance.”
But there was one fan who asked the most important question: “Will he still have the “hmmm” ?”
The Witcher fanbase know Henry’s gruntled “hmm” is Geralt’s signature.
With the fanbase growing and storylines getting more intense, there was no way Netflix could cancel the series. Yet, when it was announced that Liam would be stepping up in the fourth season, many failed to see the Aussie actor in the supernatural role.
But a black and white photo of Liam in the gym shared in April 2024, showing off his transformation in preparation for his new gig, debunked some concerns. A monster-hunter obviously needs strength to take down all the villains, so far Liam seems to be nailing the prerequisites.
“A massive thank you to everyone that has watched Land of Bad! The feedback has been awesome,” he captioned the image (above). “Extremely grateful for all the love and support!”
At the time of the role-swap announcement, Liam confessed that he was “over the moon” about the opportunity to portray Geralt as a fan of the supernatural series himself.
“Henry Cavill has been an incredible Geralt, and I’m honoured that he’s handing me the reins and allowing me to take up the White Wolf’s blades for the next chapter of his adventure,” he wrote.
“Henry, I’ve been a fan of yours for years and was inspired by what you brought to this beloved character. I may have some big boots to fill, but I’m truly excited to be stepping into The Witcher world.”
Meanwhile, “laying down [his] medallion and [his] swords,” Henry wished Liam the best of luck.
“In my stead, the fantastic Mr Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf. As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam’s take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men,” he wrote.
“Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find.”