Whose Geralt of Rivia Is This?

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October 30th marks three years and one day since Henry Cavill left his role as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s *The Witcher*. That’s the day Liam Hemsworth will debut as the character, sporting a white-blond wig and yellow contacts. When he announced his departure, Cavill expressed his respect for the character and excitement to see Liam’s interpretation of the complex and interesting Geralt.

Our first look at Liam Hemsworth as Geralt suggests he physically fits the role – he has the size and stern look the character requires. The trailer also shows the return of familiar faces like Yennefer, Ciri, and Jaskier. However, Hemsworth’s Geralt delivers a surprisingly American-sounding and forceful “Let’s fucking go!” which feels out of character. While the show isn’t afraid of strong language, this particular phrasing doesn’t quite fit the tone of *The Witcher*. Without Henry Cavill’s more serious portrayal, this new season appears to be leaning more towards an action movie vibe, like *Den of Thieves*, than the Polish fantasy world it’s based on.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=HK9dU6JIroU

Many viewers commenting on the trailer agree that Chris Hemsworth isn’t to blame for the show’s issues, and we won’t know if the season works until it’s fully released. The change in actors playing Geralt is just one part of a larger pattern of problems with *The Witcher* over the past few years, starting with reports of a strained relationship between Henry Cavill and the show’s creator. Andrzej Sapkowski’s original stories are known for being gritty, violent, and often shocking. Both the books and video games explore themes of cruelty and hopelessness, and Geralt, while loyal to his friends, is generally indifferent to others. The TV series, however, has made Geralt a more sympathetic character—someone the audience is meant to root for—which disappointed fans of the source material who felt the show strayed too far from the original spirit.

Netflix hasn’t had much success with *The Witcher* lately. While the first season of the show was a hit, the subsequent animated film, *Nightmare of the Wolf*, and live-action prequel, *Blood Origin*, didn’t resonate with audiences. (Similar to the franchise itself, the development of the fourth video game is also stalled.) The main *Witcher* series was originally planned for seven seasons, but it will now end after five. It’s disappointing to see this universe fail to take off, especially considering how exciting and unique Sapkowski’s world is – it’s more humorous and monster-focused than the serious political drama of *House of the Dragon*. Things aren’t looking good for *The Witcher*.

Even with its issues, Liam Hemsworth seems capable of leading the show. Season four of *The Witcher* is set to be filled with war and conflict as Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri try to reunite. While his delivery isn’t perfect, Hemsworth brings the right energy to moments like yelling, “Let’s fucking go.” Another promising addition is Laurence Fishburne as Regis, a powerful vampire who also works as a barber-surgeon – a unique and intriguing character. Fishburne seems to have the perfect balance of seriousness and humor to potentially revitalize the series. Even if *The Witcher* doesn’t end strongly, Regis could be a character worth exploring in a spin-off.

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2025-10-07 23:54