Henry Cavill left ‘The Witcher’ for an undisclosed reason in 2022, and Liam Hemsworth took over the Geralt of Rivia role from him. The casting news received mixed reviews from fans since then.
Hemsworth’s new co-star, Freya Allan, recently addressed the matter in a chat with Collider Ladies Night:
“I don’t want to speak for him, but from what I’ve understood, I feel like he’s really wanting to try and bring the heart. He’s been training. I feel sorry for him, honestly, because, number one, that fan base can be very attack-y, and it’s not an ideal situation to be in taking up someone else’s role. But I’m really excited to see what he does. And he’s such a lovely guy. I just hope that people give him the time of day, you know?”
Hemsworth’s Thoughts On Replacing Cavill
Producers Steve Gaub and Tomek Baginski last year assured viewers that Liam Hemsworth’s entry into the series would be lore-accurate and ‘flawless.’
The actor thanked the team for the opportunity and added in a public statement:
“Henry Cavill has been an incredible Geralt, and I’m honored that he’s handing me the reins and allowing me to take up the White Wolf’s blades for the next chapter of his adventure. Henry, I’ve been a fan of yours for years and was inspired by what you brought to this beloved character. I may have some big boots to fill, but I’m truly excited to be stepping into ‘The Witcher’ world.”
Rumors claimed that Henry Cavill left the project due to the departure from Andrzej Sapkowski’s eight-book series in Season 3.
The Superman Actor Wasn’t Pleased With The Show
Cavill actively pursued the role of Geralt in 2018 because of his love for the books and video game adaptations. He mentioned an issue with finding ‘balance between the showrunners’ vision and my love for the books’ by the second season.
He told the Philippine Star in 2021:
“The things that I pushed for, it was not necessarily just more dialogue. It was bringing a more book-accurate Geralt to the screen. Because as I’m sure you know in the books, Geralt is an amateur philosopher.”
His words went on:
“He’s an intellectual. He’s wise and thoughtful. Yes, he’s at times morose, morbid, and snarky. But it’s important for me to have the character be three-dimensional. All of my asks and requests were along the lines of just being faithful to the source material.”
New ‘The Witcher’ episodes will also feature Laurence Fishburne, Sharlto Copley, James Purefoy, and Danny Woodburn.
