Geralt being recast in Netflix’s The Witcher wasn’t ideal, but this is, in truth, the perfect time for such an adjustment to happen. Actor Henry Cavill’s performance as the titular witcher has been heavily praised, even if the series itself has been criticized. This means The Witcher will face an uphill battle while moving forward with Liam Hemsworth in the role. Recasting a lead is never easy, and Hemsworth must work twice as hard to win over audiences. However, if there was ever a time that this could be pulled off, The Witcher season 4 is it.
Cavill went out with a bang at the end of The Witcher season 3, having just had an epic battle with Vilgefotz, only to lose Ciri during the effort. After a long recovery, he and Jaskier set out to do whatever it takes to save Ciri, but their way is blocked by a group of Nilfgaardian guards. Geralt hands over Renfri’s brooch to buy their passage, an item he has prized since early in The Witcher season 1. This sacrifice indicates a significant change for Geralt, which means Hemsworth will essentially be playing a whole new character.
The Witcher Season 4 Marks A Turning Point For Geralt Of Rivia’s Story
When Geralt took Renfri’s brooch in The Witcher season 1, he placed it on his sword as a reminder to stay out of the affairs of humans. He attempted this to the best of his ability, but he always managed to get stuck in the middle—case in point, his predestined role in Ciri’s journey. After losing his battle to Vilgefortz and Ciri’s disappearance, Geralt finally realized he could no longer maintain his neutrality. To save Ciri, he had to choose to become fully involved, so he handed over Renfri’s brooch. Going into The Witcher season 4, the passive Geralt of Rivia will be no more.
Geralt is a spectacularly powerful character who chooses to stay out of human affairs. He’s been holding back all this time, afraid of how he could sway circumstances one way or another. Now, the witcher is finally going to give his all. It’s a significant turning point in his development, which will be interesting in tandem with Ciri’s own character shift. Audiences will have to get to know these brand new versions of both characters, making now the ideal moment for Hemsworth to present his version of Geralt.
Geralt’s Big Character Change Is Ideal For The Witcher Season 4’s Recast
There’s a lot of pressure on a recast actor to bring what audiences knew and loved about another actor’s performance back to the screen. However, this isn’t entirely necessary in the case of The Witcher season 4’s Geralt. The constant, guarded restraint that Cavill perfected in his performance won’t need to be duplicated by Hemsworth. This new star can bring something fresh and new to the character, presenting him as someone and something just a little different without contradicting Geralt’s previous development.
This isn’t to say Hemsworth can toss Cavill’s version of Geralt out the window
Of course, this isn’t to say Hemsworth can toss Cavill’s version of Geralt out the window. It just means that many of the unavoidable overt differences between Hemsworth and Cavills’ Geralt can be attributed to this character shift. It takes some pressure off, allowing Hemsworth to redefine the character in a way that works for him while still aligning with the canon Geralt from the books and video games.
Liam Hemsworth Has A Better Chance Of Winning Audiences With A New Take On Geralt
It’s rather lucky that Geralt underwent this significant change just before Cavill’s departure. Netflix’s The Witcher has already been under fire from fans of the books and games, and it has long been theorized that the same changes to the canon that have audiences up in arms are why Cavill stepped out to begin with. This means that Hemsworth is walking into about as bad a situation as he could get regarding audiences. Viewers will be ready to lash out with more criticisms if the actor doesn’t nail the role. Thankfully, a new version of Geralt leaves just enough wiggle room for Hemsworth to have a better chance of pulling this off.
Both actors represent a different point in Geralt’s development…
Hemsworth will still have quite a challenge winning over audiences, but he at least doesn’t have to mess too much with Cavill’s legacy. Both actors represent a different point in Geralt’s development, with Cavill being the witcher determined to stay out of it and Hemsworth standing tall as a powerful force ready to fight. Only time will tell whether the latter will pull it off or if audiences will give him a fair shot. However, at least the events of The Witcher season 4 will provide Hemsworth with the best possible version of the character to work with.
