As a gamer who loves The Witcher, this news really has hit me hard as Henry Cavill was excellent as Geralt of Rivia from the book and video game series. But Cavill is officially leaving the Netflix series after season 3 and Liam Hemsworth will be taking over the role of Geralt.

Cavill, a big fan of the series, campaigned hard for the series when it first aired, but made no secret of not liking some of the production decisions over the year. With the announcement of his return to the DCU as Superman, it seems the time was right for him to exit the hit series. Liam Hemsworth will take over the role in season 4. Cavill announced it with this on his instagram:

“My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4. 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. Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find”

The most surprising to me is that Netflix has chosen to recast the role of Geralt for Season 4. Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games, Independence Day: Resurgence) has already been selected to play Geralt. Hemsworth, also a fan of the Witcher series, was originally considered for the role in 2018 apparently greatly impressing producers with his audition. Though Cavill won the part then, Hemsworth was immediately approached to take over the series.

While the producers may have been impressed, fans seem less so as they immediately started a petition to have Cavill return. This doesn’t seem likely as Cavill seems ready to move on with other roles.

Personally, I would have liked to have seen Hemsworth play a different Witcher than Geralt perhaps moving the series into another direction while leaving Cavill’s role open for possible cameo’s though this does not seem to be in the plans.

Witcher 4 is expected to premier in 2024.