The Witcher cast “excited” to work with Henry Cavill’s replacement Liam Hemsworth

The third season of The Witcher drops on Netflix tomorrow! It’s not the final season of the show, but it is the final season where Henry Cavill will the title role of Geralt of Rivia, which to some fans is as good as the end.

Cavill’s take on the character is a big part of what has made the show a hit. Talk to the cast and you start to understand why. “He’s very involved in his understanding and portrayal of this character, and it’s something that he’s always been so passionate about from day one, about these characters and this story,” star Anya Chalotra (Yennefer) told Variety. “That’s all I’ve ever known is his dedication to Geralt and to this narrative.”

"[I]t’s a breath of fresh air to have someone to work with that loves the material. It really is. Because he knows more than anyone about the world of The Witcher, and all the rules and regulations and the terms and Witcher knowledge — he’s up there. So to work with that, it’s a blessing because there are days when you might disbelieve the world a little bit more than the next. And he’s there to go, “Hang on, we’ve got this.”"

There are rumors that Cavill is leaving the show because he’s unhappy with how far it’s strayed from the source material: The Witcher novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. But ultimately no one knows for sure why he’s departing, only that Liam Hemsworth will replace him as Geralt starting in season 4.

Liam Hemsworth has an “insane” training regimen to become Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher season 4

According to Chalotra, the cast didn’t know that season 3 would be Cavill’s final season until after they’d finished filming. “I think we will all feel that loss,” she said. “He’s been with us since day one. We’ve been through a lot together. It’s been five years of not only this world that we have in The Witcher, but COVID — all these things that we’ve gone through together, and it’s a strong bond. But with anything we do it comes to an end. Henry is moving on from this, and that’s really exciting. We’ve had a wonderful five years with him, and I’m excited for new energy to come in as well. Liam will be brilliant, I’m sure. I haven’t spoken to him yet — well, I have spoken to him but I haven’t met him. So yeah, I’m excited for that.”

That’s sounds about par for the course with other cast members, who have been communicating with Hemsworth mainly through email at this point. “[W]e’ve been exchanging our favorite quotes from the books and things like that,” star Joey Batey (Jaskier) told GamesRadar. “I don’t think any of us are in the position to advise on playing Geralt, but he’s throwing himself into it. His training regime is insane, and he’s been devouring the books.” And as he told IGN:

"We wouldn’t really give advice. I think our job is to welcome him, as we would to any new cast member, is to say ‘Come on in, we know it’s a lot, it’s a lot, there’s a lot going on,’ and to listen and be patient and commit as hard as we have done this far."

As for how the show will bring in a new actor as Geralt — as in, will they acknowledge he’s different or just act like Hemsworth has been there the whole time — Chalotra is as in the dark as the rest of us. “We haven’t had a chemistry test,” she said. “I wasn’t part of that process [of his casting]. But I’m very excited to see what his Geralt is. And only then will we realise what dynamics we have as a group.”

We don’t know when we’ll get to see Liam Hemsworth as Geralt in The Witcher season 4. But season 3 drops tomorrow on Netflix.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels