The Witcher season 4 is facing huge challenges, mostly its Geralt of Rivia recast, but now I’m officially confident in Liam Hemsworth taking over the role. Netflix is home to a variety of fantasy worlds, and perhaps its biggest one is that of The Witcher. This extensive world began in the book series of Andrzej Sapkowski and became even more popular when they were adapted into video games. The Witcher got its first English language adaptation in 2019 thanks to Netflix, and despite backlash and some controversies, the show is now preparing for its fourth season.
The Witcher season 3 ended on a major cliffhanger with Geralt (Henry Cavill), Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), and Ciri (Freya Allan) being separated again after the Thanedd coup. While Yennefer formed the Lodge of Sorceresses, Geralt recovered in Brokilon and left with Jaskier and Milva to find Ciri, who was transported to a desert before being rescued and recruited by the Rats. The Witcher season 4 is expected to cover some important and dark storylines, but its biggest challenge is Liam Hemsworth’s debut as Geralt – but I’m now confident he will do great.
Liam Hemsworth’s Commitment To Learning The Witcher Gives Me Confidence In His Geralt
Liam Hemsworth Is Taking His Role As Geralt of Rivia Very Seriously
Despite being about to take the lead in Netflix’s The Witcher, Liam Hemsworth has been very discreet about this new role, and with good reason. The news of Cavill’s departure and Hemsworth’s casting prompted strong reactions from fans of the show, video games, and books, but Hemsworth has now opened up about playing Geralt and how he prepared for the role. Speaking on Live with Kelly & Mark, Hemsworth made some big reveals about his history with the franchise of The Witcher that give me confidence in his performance as Geralt.
Once he got the offer to take over the role of Geralt, Hemsworth watched the show and checked out the books.
Hemsworth was very honest and admitted that he hadn’t seen the Netflix show when he got the call to play Geralt, and he wasn’t familiar with the books, either. However, Hemsworth had played the video game, which he called one of the best games of all time. Once he got the offer to take over the role of Geralt, Hemsworth watched the show and checked out the books, and now he’s nine months into filming season 4.
Hemsworth’s commitment to learning about The Witcher and Geralt beyond what he already knew makes me relieved about season 4 and his performance. Hemsworth surely isn’t taking this opportunity lightly, and knows there’s a lot of history behind the show and the character that are necessary to check out to better bring Geralt to life. As weird as it sounds, knowing that Hemsworth wasn’t familiar with Cavill’s performance when he got the offer also gives me a lot of hope, as it points at him not going to try and imitate Cavill’s performance, instead making the character his own.
The Witcher Needed Someone Knowledgeable About The Franchise To Replace Henry Cavill
Geralt of Rivia Is Not An Easy Character To Portray
Replacing Henry Cavill is no easy task, but it’s especially challenging when it comes to The Witcher. Cavill never hid that he’s a big fan of the world of The Witcher, particularly the video games, and he was quite knowledgeable about it by the time he was cast. Cavill even had some influence on how Geralt would be portrayed, adding his now-famous grunts as the character isn’t a very chatty one. Cavill’s passion and knowledge of The Witcher and Geralt showed, and the show needs someone knowledgeable to replace him.
Hemsworth might not have been familiar with Cavill’s performance when he was offered the role, but he didn’t take this challenge lightly. Based on what he revealed in the above interview, Hemsworth surely is a lot more knowledgeable about The Witcher now as he has played the games, watched the show, and read the books, which definitely makes me more confident that he will do justice to the character while also bringing his own interpretation of how Geralt of Rivia should be – and that would make his Geralt more interesting and exciting.
Liam Hemsworth Still Has An Uphill Battle Taking Over The Role Of Geralt
The Witcher Season 4 Will Be A Big Challenge For Liam Hemsworth
Liam Hemsworth has worked hard to prepare to play Geralt, but that’s only one part of the big challenge ahead of him. Cavill’s departure left a void in The Witcher thanks to his excellent performance and how well-received it was by the audience (both fans of the world of The Witcher and new viewers), and pleasing the audience is going to be the biggest challenge. Fans of any book, movie, TV show, and more can be very protective of the stories and characters, and while that passion is understandable, this can blur all judgment.
In addition to properly and accurately playing Geralt, Hemsworth has to win over a very harsh audience.
Hemsworth has already been the target of backlash way before the first look at him as Geralt was revealed, so in addition to properly and accurately playing Geralt, he has to win over a very harsh audience. However, knowing how much he has prepared for the role is a step in the right direction, and at least I am now confident that Liam Hemsworth will have a successful debut in The Witcher season 4.
Source: Live with Kelly & Mark.