Let’s be honest. Replacing Henry Cavill is like trying to replace the wheels on a moving car while it's doing eighty down the highway. People were skeptical. They were angry. Social media was basically a bonfire for two years leading up to the release of Season 4. But now that we're sitting here in early 2026, with the fourth season under our belts and the final season on the horizon, the narrative around Liam Hemsworth The Witcher has shifted in a way nobody really saw coming.
It’s not perfect. It was never going to be. But the guy actually showed up.
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The Impossible Task: Replacing a Fan Favorite
The news broke way back in late 2022 that Cavill was hanging up the silver swords. The "creative differences" rumors were everywhere. Fans felt like the heart of the show was being ripped out. When Liam Hemsworth was announced as the new Geralt of Rivia, the collective groan could be heard from Novigrad to Skellige.
Hemsworth had a mountain to climb. He wasn’t just learning lines; he was stepping into a character that a massive, dedicated fanbase had already decided belonged to someone else. During the press runs for Season 4, which dropped in October 2025, Liam mentioned he had to go dark on social media. Smart move. Honestly, the noise was just too loud.
But something happened when the episodes actually premiered. The show didn't collapse.
How Season 4 Handled the "New Face"
Netflix chose a pretty bold, if slightly weird, path to introduce the change. Instead of just pretending nothing happened, the season opener used a series of flashbacks to retell moments from Geralt's past. Except, in these memories, it was Liam's face. It was a bit of a "gaslighting the audience" vibe, but it served a purpose. It grounded the idea that this is Geralt, regardless of the physical vessel.
A Different Kind of Witcher
Hemsworth’s Geralt is a bit more lean. He’s younger-looking, sure, but he brings a different kind of weariness to the role. While Cavill’s Geralt felt like an immovable mountain of muscle and stoicism, Liam plays him with a slight "wryness," as co-star Joey Batey (Jaskier) described it.
- The Voice: He didn't try to do a carbon copy of the "Batman rasp." It’s still low, still gravelly, but it feels more like a natural speaking voice and less like a stylistic choice.
- The Chemistry: Surprisingly, his chemistry with Anya Chalotra (Yennefer) and Freya Allan (Ciri) held up. There was a fear it would feel like a stranger had wandered into a family dinner, but by episode three, the "hanza" vibe—that found-family fellowship—actually started to click.
- The Action: Let’s give credit where it’s due. The man can fight. The choreography in the fight against the Rats and the encounter with Leo Bonhart (played by a terrifying Sharlto Copley) was top-tier.
What Critics and Fans Are Saying Right Now
The reviews for Liam Hemsworth The Witcher have been a mixed bag, which is better than the "disaster" everyone predicted. On Rotten Tomatoes, Season 4 settled around a 62% critic score. The audience score is lower, hovering around 21%, mostly due to the lingering "Cavill or Riot" sentiment that still dominates Reddit threads.
Some critics, like Sarah Dempster from The Guardian, weren't kind, calling the new Geralt a "bollard in a wig." Ouch. But others, like Aramide Tinubu at Variety, felt this was actually the sharpest the show has been in years. The pacing is better. The story is tighter. It’s less of a "Geralt show" and more of an ensemble epic now.
The Road to the End: Season 5 in 2026
Netflix recently dropped a bombshell: Season 5 is coming this year. Because they filmed Season 4 and Season 5 back-to-back, we don't have to wait the usual two-year gap. This is the end. The final season will wrap up the saga of the Continent, and Liam Hemsworth will be the one to carry it to the finish line.
The official synopsis for the final season is already out. It's basically the end of the world. Dark forces are aligning against Ciri, and Geralt and Yennefer are desperate to reunite their family one last time. It's high stakes.
Key Players for the Grand Finale:
- Laurence Fishburne as Regis: He was a standout in Season 4, and his role as the "barber-surgeon" vampire is expected to be even more pivotal in the conclusion.
- Danny Woodburn as Zoltan: The fan-favorite dwarf brought some much-needed levity, and he's officially back for the final ride.
- Sharlto Copley as Leo Bonhart: If you thought he was scary in Season 4, wait until he fully catches up with the Rats in the finale.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Recast
The biggest misconception is that Liam Hemsworth "stole" the role or that the showrunners fired Cavill. By all accounts, it was a mutual (if messy) parting. Hemsworth didn't walk in trying to be Henry Cavill; he walked in trying to be Geralt.
There's a subtle difference there. If he had tried to mimic Cavill’s every grunt and eyebrow twitch, it would have been a parody. Instead, he’s leaning into the book version of Geralt—someone who is a bit more talkative, a bit more philosophical, and deeply, deeply tired of being a pawn in other people's games.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you've been holding out on watching Season 4 because of the recast, here is how to approach it:
- Drop the comparison: You’ll never enjoy it if you’re looking for Cavill’s silhouette. Think of it like a new actor playing James Bond or Doctor Who.
- Focus on the Hanza: The real strength of this era of the show isn't just Geralt; it's the group of misfits he travels with. The banter between Geralt, Milva, and Jaskier is genuinely good.
- Prepare for the Finality: Knowing that the show ends with Season 5 makes the stakes feel real. There’s no more treading water.
The era of Liam Hemsworth The Witcher is short—only two seasons—but it’s proving to be a fascinating chapter in fantasy TV history. Whether he wins over the die-hards by the time the series finale rolls out later in 2026 remains to be seen, but the man definitely earned his silver sword.
You should catch up on Season 4 now so you're ready when the final episodes drop, likely toward the end of December 2026, to capitalize on that holiday binge-watching window. It's going to be a wild end to a very turbulent journey.