Why Did Henry Cavill Leave ‘The Witcher’? How Liam Hemsworth Became the New White Wolf

Season 4 of The Witcher will make its long-awaited return to Netflix on October 30. With Geralt of Rivia, his raven-haired mage muse Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra), and Child Surprise Ciri, a.k.a. Princess Cirilla of Cintra (Freya Allan), all back in action, fans can expect a new face of the White Wolf as Liam Hemsworth steps into the role made famous by Henry Cavill.

A seemingly drastic move for one of Netflix’s top shows, the recasting marks a bold new chapter for the fantasy saga. While Cavill’s departure stunned fans, the upcoming season aims to prove that The Witcher can evolve without losing the heart and grit that made it a global phenomenon.

But what were the events that led to this major recasting? Before Season 4 makes its debut, enjoy a small breakdown of how Henry Cavill’s departure unfolded.

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The Witcher debuts on Netflix and is a hit (2019)

The Witcher debuted on Netflix on December 20, 2019, and it was an immediate hit. The fantasy series quickly became one of Netflix’s most-watched shows of the year. According to viewership data, the first season was viewed by over 76 million households within its first month of release.

As Geralt, Cavill fulfilled the expectations of fans of both the games and the books with remarkable precision. From his gruff voice to his hulking physique, along with his love of baths and loyalty to his horse Roach, Cavill captured every facet of the character. He not only met the expectations of longtime Witcher fans but embodied them completely, bringing Geralt of Rivia to life in a way that felt both authentic and unforgettable.

After 3 seasons, Cavil decided to exit The Witcher (2022)

Cavill announced in an Instagram post in October 2022 that he would be leaving the Netflix fantasy drama after Season 3, and Liam Hemsworth would be stepping into the role of Geralt.

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“Some news to share from The Continent,” began the post. “My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4. In my stead, the fantastic Mr. Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf. As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam’s take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men.”

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A post shared by Henry Cavill (@henrycavill)

But why did he leave?

While Cavill himself never cited a specific reason for leaving, others close to the show and the situation provided insight.

Cavill is a well-known fanboy of The Witcher books and games, and he often said he wanted the series to stay faithful to Andrzej Sapkowski’s source material. It was rumored that he left due to creative differences, though he never confirmed or denied the chatter.

In an EW interview with showrunner Lauren Hissrich, she called the move a “symbiotic decision” between the parties. “He had plans for other roles that he really wanted to commit himself to,” said Hissrich “And for us, you don’t want to hold someone and force them to be doing something that they don’t want to do. I think that’s why it felt like a really symbiotic decision.”

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However, former Witcher producer and writer Beau DeMayo offers a different side to the story. DeMayo has said that some writers on the series “actively disliked” both Andrzej Sapkowski’s books and CD Projekt Red’s games.

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter from 2020, Hissrich said Cavill had sent her notes about Geralt’s dialogue. “Everybody came out of Season 1 laughing and loving Geralt’s fuming. But Henry was saying that when you read the books, you spend a lot of time in Geralt’s head. So how can we put that on the page? Meanwhile, I wanted to tell the story of him becoming a father figure to Ciri. So those two things coalesced wonderfully. He opens up to get Ciri to trust him by speaking his mind and his heart more.”

In an interview with Philstar, Cavill revealed: “It’s important for me to have the character be three-dimensional. And it’s tricky to do… because there’s a certain vision and there’s a certain set storyline and plot. And so, it was about me trying to find Geralt’s place within that. All of my asks and requests were along the lines of just being faithful to the source material.”

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'The Witcher' Season 4 Trailer Features Liam Hemsworth's Geralt of Rivia in Action

The actor has since turned his attention to developing a TV series based on one of his favorite games: Warhammer 40K for Amazon Prime Video. He’s also set to star in the new Highlander movie from John Wick filmmaker Chad Stahelski.

How did Liam Hemsworth get the part?

“I was on set of shooting a film called Land of Bad — this is at the end of 2022 — and my agent just asked me, said, ‘You know, this one’s kind of come out of nowhere, but how do you feel about stepping on as The Witcher,’” Hemsworth told IGN, “and I was shocked.”

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So, will Liam Hemsworth make a good Geralt?

Both Hissrich and Netflix have total faith in Hemsworth as the new White Wolf. Even with his new voice, which is significantly different than Cavill’s signature growl.

“Once we started filming them, we started making adjustments to make sure that things sounded more natural coming out of Liam’s mouth,” said Hissrich.

Netflix’s head of U.S. and Canada scripted series Peter Friedlander told Variety, “Henry is an extraordinary Geralt, and I think Liam will continue and also be an extraordinary Geralt. There has been a legacy of amazing, iconic characters where the actors have changed, and we’re hugely optimistic about this. We will continue to honor the IP, the fans, the storytelling, all the way through.”

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According to Hissrich, fans have nothing to worry about: “The other really great thing about Liam is he takes this really, really seriously,” she said to IGN. “I think he knew that he was stepping into big shoes. It was really important to him to have certain things [for] continuity — and also certain things that he could invent so that his Geralt could stand on his own two feet.”

“You need someone who you can imagine can excel at these action scenes, who has such a physical presence that they could be both intimidating in the story, but also, Geralt has a huge emotional side as well…What I really loved about Liam’s work that I had seen is that he was able to organically blend those two things,” Hissrich explained. “He has a soul that he brings into the role.”

The Witcher, Season 4, October 30, Netflix