Hemworth's first look as Geralt in "The Witcher" stirs debate

First, there were Andrzej Sapkowski's books, and then one of the most popular series of recent years. The change of the actor playing the titular role before the premiere of the fourth season of "The Witcher" generates the most excitement - Henry Cavill will be replaced by Liam Hemsworth. Netflix has just released the first materials featuring the star.

The Witcher novel series was created in the 90s. Two decades after the release of the last, fifth part, in 2019, the Netflix series became streaming. The title enjoyed a large viewership despite its noticeably declining quality. Fans were greatly surprised by Henry Cavill's decision to leave the cast. The commitment of the screen Superman to building the character was supposedly enormous - the actor, as a big fan of the whole universe, performed all his stunt scenes.

According to one of the series' directors, the workload discouraged the actor from participating in the further stages of production. "Henry has done three series, these are demanding shows to make, you know, they are huge. (...) He's brought the show into being, and if he feels like he's done what he can, I trust him," Marc Jobst said in an interview with Games Radar. It's no wonder that Liam Hemsworth, set to replace Cavill, had a difficult start, as fans had significant doubts about this casting.

In mid-April, a clip and photos from the script reading rehearsal appeared online. At the same time, the creators announced that the series would end after the fifth instalment, which pleased not only complaining fans but also the actors themselves. Freya Allan, who plays Ciri, admitted that she felt relieved at the news of the upcoming finale.

"The Witcher definitely set up a lot for me, just in terms of being my drama school and providing me with a certain level of confidence. You also learn so many random skills. I’ve already done a lot of stunt work; I know how to ride horses. I was so kind of finished with it mentally.. (...) It's going to be the end of a massive chapter, which I'm excited for and ready for. But I think when I actually get to it, I'm going to be shocked at how much that hits me," she revealed in an interview with Inverse.

On the occasion, she praised her new colleague. "He's so sweet and just such a normal guy and so willing to connect.And I feel bad for him because he's had so much weight and pressure on his shoulders (...). It's been important for the rest of us to really make him feel that he's a part of the family," she assured. Recently, we could see him in the first photos from the set and now - in a short video.

In the fragment shared on the Polish Netflix fan page on Facebook, we first see the protagonist reflected in a water surface along with his horse, and then we see his silhouette shrouded in gloomy fog from behind. After a moment, the protagonist dramatically and slowly turns around, revealing his face. This is how Liam Hemsworth made his "entrance" into the series.

As can be seen in the comments section, fans have mixed opinions. Many point out that the problem is not the actor's choice but the terrible script. "Season two was so terribly bad in this respect that it discouraged me from watching the series further. The whole soul of The Witcher is gone, and only some plastic, colourless trash remains," wrote one user.

"I thought it would look a lot worse. There's no need to hate him because Liam is not to blame. Cavill stepped down from the role because he was utterly fed up with what this whole showrunner is doing," added another. "There's no tragedy, although a recast in this case will probably not be received warmly. I feel sorry for Liam because he is not to blame here," agreed a third.

The filming process will last until October this year, which means there's a chance for the premiere of the fourth season of "The Witcher" in mid-2025. The first three seasons are available on Netflix.