Jaskier may have a hard time convincing fans to toss a coin to this witcher.
On Wednesday, Netflixreleased its first look at Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia in its popular fantasy series “The Witcher.” It’s the first time fans got a peep at the new face of the show’s main character after Henry Cavill’s exit.
Cavill portrayed the leading character since the series premiered on the streamer in 2019 but announced his departure from the show in 2022 when he thought he was going to continue playing Superman on the big screen. That didn’t pan out for Cavill, and Warner Bros. shifted its plans for the DC superhero movie slate after Cavill had already freed up his schedule.
The Man of Steel star mentioned that the Hunger Games alum would “be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf” in his 2022 departure announcement and wished him the best, writing: “Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him. Enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find.”
It’s unclear if the series will address why its main character suddenly has a different face — but here’s a short promo clip of the new Geralt.
Unfortunately, no gruntsare included.
The journey continues. Here's your first look at Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher. pic.twitter.com/KK5veTMmN0
— Netflix (@netflix) May 22, 2024
Here is a side-by-side comparison of what the character has looked like and how he will look.
Henry Cavill vs Liam Hemsworth ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/74A8cnei3t
— Julien (@MajorDcp) May 22, 2024
Being that Cavill helped make the show a success, fans on X, formerly Twitter, had some pretty mixed reactions.
Listen, he's fine...but you can't take Henry from us and give us Liam. You can't follow up a Bentley with a Jeep
— Nerdy_Senpai ???? (@Nerdy_SenpaiTTV) May 22, 2024
There is only one Geralt of Rivia, and his name is Henry Cavill. pic.twitter.com/1XX1DUCFlF
— The Conservative Alternative (@OldeWorldOrder) May 22, 2024
LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LIAMRALT I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!!!!!!!!
— Márcia ???? - Open for Commissions (@theviscountjask) May 22, 2024
I feel a bit sorry for Liam here. Henry Cavill is Geralt - just perfect for the role. Replacing him ruins the immersion, no matter how Hemsworth does… hope he smashes it though
— Mackie (@TravellingMack) May 22, 2024
SO EXCITED TO SEE LIAM AS GERALT pic.twitter.com/ybjQt44dP7
— falka (@mvdpire) May 22, 2024
I didn’t know how I’d feel but after laughing that hard I realized….. NOPEEEE not for me????????????
— Jonathan (@Jon_S830) May 22, 2024
Pass. Couldn’t even get the more serious looking Hemsworth? ???? feels like a Spoof
no thanks, i'm not watching discount geralt
— @AI_EmeraldApple (@AI_EmeraldApple) May 22, 2024
Not bad, not bad at all. So far he looks great as Geralt, lets see his performance now.
— Screen Wizard ????♂️ (@screenwizardz) May 22, 2024
Although fans don’t seem completely onboard for Hemsworth’s Geralt, it may come as a comfort to know that Freya Allen, who plays Ciri in the series, initially wasn’t thrilled about the cast change, either, but is now hyped for Season 4.
“I was dreading it for a while, if I’m honest, but now I’m on it and we have, thank God, a great director starting us off, which has made it so much fun,” she said during an interview with ComicBookearlier this month. “There’s so much great stuff to play. I’m actually quite happy.”
The Witcher Season 4 is in production. It’s unclear when it will premiere on Netflix.
And despite what one thinks of face-swap Geralt, we’re all going to have to get used to it because Hemsworth will play him for the next two seasons. Netflix announced in April that it renewed the show through Season 5 — which will be the final season of the series.
