It looks like we’re in for a meta-narrative introduced by Andrzej Sapkowski himself.
It’s finally happening: whether you’ve been waiting for the follow-up to Netflix ‘s The Witcher or not, it’s coming, and production is well underway. Without revealing any specific details, Netflix has already started actively promoting the upcoming fourth season.
Recently, the streaming service released a video of a table read that featured the first appearance of none other than the new Geralt of Rivia, Liam Hemsworth, who replaced Henry Cavill.
While many fans don’t need lore-friendly explanations for the recasting, the writers seem to be banking on it, but it remains a mystery how exactly it will be accomplished. However, the new actors present at the table read may explain the transition from Cavill to Hemsworth.
The Witcher EP on How Hemsworth’s Geralt Could Be Introduced
Recasting a lead actor is never without risk, as the new performer may be perceived differently due to the expectations set by the previous actor, and the writers need to provide a sufficient explanation as to why the protagonist’s appearance has changed so drastically. In this regard, Executive Producer Tomasz Bagiński has dropped some hints about how the recasting might be incorporated into the story.
‘Suddenly, at the beginning of the [fifth] book, we learn that everything we’ve read so far might not have been true,’ Bagiński explained.
The saga of Geralt, Yennefer and Ciri is told a century later in the fifth novel, The Lady of the Lake. The sorceress Nimue aka Lady of the Lake has not only researched the accuracy of past events, but also the appearance of Ciri and Geralt, whose portraits and descriptions have not survived. So the focus may be on a more postmodern approach that relies on the unreliable narrator device.
‘There is only one reality in Sapkowski’s work, but because it is a story from the past, what we know has been filtered by various authors, historians, writers, etc. Maybe it is Jaskier’s version or someone else’s. Maybe Ciri had a different eye colour, was a different character, and these events looked different from the point of view of the elves.’
The Theory May Be True
And now Netflix has released a fascinating behind-the-scenes clip, featuring two actors playing new characters, who may prove to be the confirmation of Bagiński’s words.
The story this time around will be largely based on the novel Baptism of Fire. At the end of the book, we’re told that as a young girl, Nimue (played by Serrana Su-Ling Bliss) and her sisters were inspired by the legends of the past told by a wandering storyteller named Stribog. And according to the clip, he will also be introduced in the new season and will be played by Clive Russell.
In addition, the story may also borrow plot from the standalone novel Season of Storms, whose epilogue also included a timeline set a century after the main events. It takes place several decades before the future events of The Lady of the Lake, but apparently shortly after the final chapter of Baptism of Fire. In it, Nimue meets a mysterious white-haired witcher on her way to Aretuza. Yes, she met Geralt for the first time in person, and that is how they can show us his ‘true’ face, which will turn out to be not Cavill’s, but Hemsworth’s.
It is still unknown how the writers will implement the introduction of Nimue and Stribog, whether it will be an opening scene or a framing narrative throughout the season. As for the release of The Witcher Season 4, we shouldn’t expect it before the summer of 2025.
