“Not Necessarily A Good Guy”: Original Geralt Actor Nails What The Witcher Season 4’s Recast Needs To Get Right
As The Witcher season 4 approaches, there’s a lot of pressure on Netflix’s hit fantasy series to maintain the quality of the TV show. The biggest source of controversy leading into season 4 is the fact that Henry Cavill has exited the series and will be replaced by Liam Hemsworth as the lead character, Geralt of Rivia. While there are high hopes for Hemsworth, Cavill is leaving big shoes to fill, and a major cast change this far into a series can be challenging to navigate. It will be interesting to see what Hemsworth’s take on the character will be.
However, there’s plenty of reason to believe that The Witcher season 4 has a bright future. Hemsworth should take the advice of actors who have portrayed Geralt in the past to influence the way he performs. Fortunately, there are plenty of other characters the audience can focus on in season 4. Ciri (Freya Allan) and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) are two other major players in The Witcher. Their season 4 journeys will be just as engaging as Geralt’s. When all the characters finally come together, it will be an exciting moment for Hemsworth to demonstrate his chemistry with the cast.
Original Geralt Actor Doug Cockle Nails What Makes The Witcher So Compelling
Of course, Cavill is far from the first actor to take on the role of Geralt. There have been many animated iterations of the beloved books, with Doug Cockle portraying Geralt in The Witcher video game. Recently, Cockle has spoken about how excited he is to see Hemsworth step into the role. He expressed how Hemsworth’s previous experience in action and adventure movies will lend themselves to bringing Geralt to life. When Cockle spoke to Games Radar about Hemsworth’s upcoming role in The Witcher, he described how Cavill understood this part of Geralt:
“It’s that quality I think is most important to bring to the character of Geralt, because that’s what he does. He’s not a bad guy; he’s not necessarily a good guy. He always wants to remain neutral, but he keeps finding himself in these situations where he has to make a decision when faced with a moral dilemma.”
Geralt has evolved a lot since The Witcher season 1, and even though he’s committing further to his father-like role in Ciri’s life, he’s still unsure of himself as a hero. Cockle’s comments about Geralt’s moral ambiguity and struggle to do what he thinks is right and what’s best for the world are words that Hemsworth should take to heart. Since The Witcher is a fantasy TV show confirmed to be ending in the next few years, these final seasons will be defined by Hemsworth’s ability to communicate this part of Geralt.
The Witcher Season 4’s Recast Will Work If Liam Hemsworth Gets This Crucial Geralt Detail Right
While Hemsworth shouldn’t copy Cavill’s work, or even Cockle’s, his performance should be in conversation with all the other iterations of Geralt. Regardless of who is portraying the White Wolf, they must carefully touch upon the nuance of Geralt as a protagonist and unexpected hero. Geralt already enters into some situations unsure of what niche he fills, and Hemsworth must carefully balance this. Outside of Geralt’s arc, The Witcher season 4 can elevate Yennefer’s story and keep focusing on Ciri’s development to give the audience additional stories to engage with.
Based on Hemsworth’s work in major franchises like The Hunger Games and Independence Day, the actor understands how much weight his performance carries in a TV show like The Witcher. It’s a well-known fantasy series with a loyal following, and the series hasn’t always connected with fans of the original books. Hemsworth has to grapple with this pressure, but he also has the opportunity to bring new layers to Geralt and make the next two seasons of The Witcher the best of the show’s tenure.
