Liam Hemsworth will soon be suiting up as Geralt of Rivia and this stunning new concept art proves how incredible he could be in the role when The Witcher season 4 arrives!
Since its launch in 2019, The Witcher has emerged as one of Netflix’s most successful franchises due in large part to Henry Cavill’s presence as the series leading man.
Not only does Cavill perfectly embody Geralt of Rivia, but the actor is a professed fan of the source material which has bled into his performance — and also made a difference in key aspects of the show as Cavill has been vocal about the story honoring author Andrzej Sapkowski’s fantasy world.
So needless to say, when news broke that Cavill would be departing the show in its upcoming fourth season with Liam Hemsworth tapped to replace him, fans were understandably hit with a wave of emotions.
It seems nearly impossible to imagine anyone other than Cavill playing Geralt and there are a lot of fans who have expressed concerns about Hemsworth taking on the role. While these concerns definitely have merit, fans might find themselves singing a different tune after seeing what Hemsworth could look like in the role!
What Liam Hemsworth could look like as Geralt in The Witcher
Clearly inspired by the recent casting news, digital artist 83pixelstudios has gifted fans with their first look at what Hemsworth could look like in the role of Geralt!
In the stunning concept art, Hemsworth is transformed into Geralt through the magic of photo editing which blends Hemsworth’s likeness with Cavill’s Geralt.
Via the art, Hemsworth dons Geralt’s signature armor and his iconic white hair. The end result is a promising preview of what could come when Hemsworth takes over the role.
While we’ll have to wait until season 4 begins filming to know just what exactly Hemsworth will look like in the role of Geralt, the concept art definitely should help to ease the minds of fans who were unsure of the actor’s ability to fill the boots about to be vacated by Cavill.
When will Liam Hemsworth take over the role of Geralt in The Witcher?
While it remains to be seen how exactly The Witcher will explain the recast, we do know when exactly Liam Hemsworth will be taking over the role of Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s hit series. Hemsworth is set to take over the role of Geralt in the fourth season of The Witcher, presumably in the season 4 premiere.
"“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,” Cavill said in a statement. “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.”"
Filming on season 3 of the show — which will be coming in 2023 — has wrapped with Henry Cavill having returned in the role of Geralt for the upcoming third season. As filming is said to have already wrapped, it’s likely that Cavill has already filmed his last scene as Geralt unless Netflix finds a way to bring him back to help pass the torch, though that’s looking unlikely.
Why is Liam Hemsworth replacing Henry Cavill on The Witcher?
Interestingly, there has not been a confirmation as to why Netflix is replacing Henry Cavill with Liam Hemsworth, but rumor has it the decision was made due to Cavill’s desire to leave the show. There has been a lot of speculation about Cavill leaving the show due to his issues with the show straying away from the source materials that inspired the show.
Most recently, Doug Cockle, who voices Geralt in The Witcher video games, confessed at MCM Comic-Con that he believes Cavill’s love for the source material and displeasure with the show’s changes are in fact behind Cavill’s exit.
"If that’s the case, I can completely understand that, because Henry is such a huge fan of the games and the books and the writers on the Netflix series have chosen, for whatever reason they did so, to deviate quite severely from the books and the games. Whether that’s good or not? That’s down to what you like. I personally don’t understand the choice, but… there you go. I think that’s why… Henry’s leaving."
Is Liam Hemsworth in The Witcher season 3?
Liam Hemsworth did not appear within the first part of season 3 of The Witcher, and it’s not expected that he will appear in the final episodes of the season either.
Ahead of season 3’s release there had been no reports of Hemsworth appearing in the season which is designed to be Cavill’s swan song. While there is always the possibility Netflix could pass the baton from Henry Cavill to Liam Hemsworth within the season 3 finale or even via a post-credit tease in the finale, what is most likely to occur is that Hemsworth will not officially make his debut until season 4.
Waiting to introduce Hemsworth until season 4 would allow Cavill to stand solo in the spotlight in what will be his final season with the show, before leaning heavily into the promotion of Hemworth’s arrival in season 4 when promotional materials for season 4 begin to release.
Henry Cavill says a tearful goodbye to The Witcher
In what will likely be his last major appearance through Netflix to promote The Witcher, during Netflix’s Tudum global eventHenry Cavill joined his costars on June 17 where he wished his costars a tearful goodbye.
During the appearance, Cavill thanked his costars for believing in him and stressing how much he was going to miss working with them:
"“I actually just want to talk about my co-stars here because once again it was such a pleasure and an honor to be working with you guys. You guys bring so much nuance and detail to these characters, which are often at risk of being oversimplified, and what you guys have done with the characters has involved work, care, and effort. And believe me, working with you guys was the biggest pleasure. So, [I] just want to say I’m gonna miss you. I’m gonna miss you very much.”"
Is The Witcher season 4 coming in 2023?
A new season of The Witcher is coming in 2023, just not the show’s fourth season. The Witcher season 3 is slated to arrive on Netflix this summer with Netflix splitting the season into two parts with Part 1 releasing on June 29 and Part 2 dropping on July 27.
Considering there have typically been at least two years between new seasons of The Witcher, it’s likely that The Witcher season 4 might not arrive until 2025. Of course, Netflix could surprise us with a late 2024 release date for the show, but given the scope of the series and the fact that no reports have leaked of filming on season 4 beginning it’s looking unlikely season 4 could arrive next year.
Are you eager to see what Liam Hemsworth will bring to the role of Geralt of Rivia? Does the fan art of Hemsworth in the role make you more or less excited to see Hemsworth take on the role of Geralt?