Many of us fantasy lovers have heard of “The Witcher” series before, whether from playing the games first and then exploring that universe even further in the show; or perhaps even reading the books before finding the show adaptation. Maybe, like me, one day you were looking for something new to watch on Netflix and stumbled upon the first season of what soon became one of Netflix’s most popular shows.
“The Witcher” has all the makings for a fantasy lover’s dream show, from sword fights and monsters to mages and mutants; “The Witcher” was a dream come true for fans.
That is until, after two seasons and a promise of a third and fourth season, fans were hit with some devastating news. Henry Cavill, who plays the main character of Geralt of Rivia, would be replaced by Liam Hemsworth starting in the fourth season.
I can remember reading this announcement and thinking to myself that this is the worst decision the show could have made. How could this even be happening? Cavill has been what many people thought of as the person who was meant to play Geralt. He had the voice and the looks and embodied what fans of “The Witcher” universe saw as Geralt.
Cavill had quickly become a fan favorite and many were left confused after hearing of this news. Many people have speculated as to the reasons why Cavill was cut from the role, especially after the success the show has had up to this point.
Rumors had gone around that Cavill had quit after being hired back into his infamous role of Superman, which is arguably his most popular role. But this seems unlikely with just how much success he was having as Geralt and is even more unlikely now that Cavill has been withdrawn, once again, from his superhero role.
The newest rumor, and the more likely one, circulating is that Cavill had a disagreement with show writers concerning the source material. Cavill, who has always been vocal of his love for the games and books, has said time and again how much he values the material on which the show is based upon.
If the writers had wanted to deviate too far from the original material, it seems likely Cavill would have a problem with this. Would this be enough for him to back out of the project entirely, or was he fired due to his disagreement with the writers?
These are questions that still go unanswered and unconfirmed. What we do know is that this shift in leading actors will have deep effects on the show. Hemsworth, who is more known for his role in movies such as “The Last Song” or “The Hunger Games” franchise, doesn’t seem to be a good enough replacement for fans of the show.
It’s not that Hemsworth isn’t a good actor; it’s more so that he seems a rather odd choice to make for a replacement for Cavill. The actors don’t look alike, other than both being brunette with light eyes, which would be covered with wigs and contacts in the show. This disrupts the continuity of the show in a way many fans won’t be able to ignore.
But, despite the aesthetic and looks aspect in the shift in actors, there are other issues us fans are concerned about. One of the biggest of these: Can Hemsworth do justice to the character? No doubt he is a competent actor; he wouldn’t get roles if he wasn’t, but we’ve never seen him in such a high fantasy role. His previous roles all seem to lean towards the softer, charming type of character, which is the complete opposite of Geralt.
Geralt is a mutant monster hunter who shows little remorse and is a fierce character. His dry sense of humor and seemingly lack of empathy towards most are some of the key traits of his personality and us fans are wondering if Hemsworth can live up to this role.
Followers of the show have only ever seen Cavill in this role, and we all are waiting to see how this big change will affect the show. Will Hemsworth be able to do Geralt justice, or will this be a deal breaker for watchers of the show? All we have are rumors as to why the replacement has taken place, but only time will tell what this will mean for the future of “The Witcher.”