The 4th season of The Witcher is on the starting blocks. Fans must cope with a new lead actor, as Henry Cavill will no longer be seen as Geralt. The series will also change the character itself and move further away from the source material.
The Witcher will go on Netflix on October 30, 2025 for its fourth season. In it, the adventures of Geralt of Rivia continue, particularly the second novel “Baptism of Fire” serves as a template.
Henry Cavill is no longer in the lead role to the dismay of many fans, which even led to petitions from disappointed fans. The actor announced in 2022 on Instagram that he would leave the series after season 3. He did not specify a precise reason, but rumors suggested it might be because the production was increasingly drifting away from the literary source.
This originates from the Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The writer has already stated in season 1 that he does not have too much say, but that would be normal. The question is how he feels about the new changes announced by the showrunner. Because the new lead actor Liam Hemsworth is not the only thing that is changing about Geralt.
An emotional Witcher?
What does the showrunner say? In conversation with Dexerto, Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich discussed the fourth season and explained the differences between the old and the new Geralt.
The biggest changes mainly affect the character traits of the figure. Henry Cavill’s version was true to the source, mainly serious, cynical, and stoic. When something touches him, he shows hardly any external reaction. He is not a sociable type who enjoys coming out of his shell.
But that is supposed to change now. Schmidt-Hissrich explains:
Geralt is a bit funnier this season. He is a bit drier. He is also much more emotional. He goes through many different things that we haven’t seen in the past.
This change in mindset is said to be largely due to the new casting of Liam Hemsworth, who puts his own stamp on the character:
And I believe Liam has really succeeded in his portrayal of showing this vulnerable side that we haven’t seen before. We knew we were doing something big and making a big change. [But] he has such an ease about him as a person. He is so relaxed… someone used the word “effortless” yesterday, and I thought: “That’s exactly it. Everything about him is just effortless.” He came in and somehow calmed everyone down with his demeanor and calmness.
The collaboration with the new actor has been quite good so far. This is a good sign for productions of this magnitude. However, how it will affect the final result remains to be seen.
What is clear, however, is that not everyone will like this new direction of the character. Especially since it moves away from the source material – an aspect that is important to many. A warm Geralt is not necessarily what fans associate with the character. It would be interesting to know what Henry Cavill thinks about this. And we would love to know what your opinion on the topic is. Feel free to share it with us in the comments. While some are bothered by the recasting, others say: Don’t be mean to Liam and at least give him a chance
