Liam Hemsworth is “in training” for The Witcher after Henry Cavill’s exit
"No one can ask anything more than just complete committal to this role and that’s what he’s doing."
As Henry Cavill's final season of The Witcher nears, Liam Hemsworth is "training" to take over as Geralt of Rivia.
Season 3, which will be released in two volumes, will be Cavill's final outing as the Witcher, with Hemsworth taking over for season 4 and beyond.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com about whether the main cast have been able to speak to Hemsworth yet, Anya Chalotra, who plays Yennefer of Vengerberg, explained: "Yeah we have, we've checked in."
Joey Batey, who plays Jaskier, added: "Lots of emails! But to be honest, I think he’s just using this time before we shoot to train and to study all the books and throw himself into this. No one can ask anything more than just complete committal to this role and that’s what he’s doing. We’re all really excited."
As for Cavill's exit, Freya Allan, who plays Ciri, told RadioTimes.com: "It was quite a few months after wrapping and it was a surprise to us all, but I think that we are now focusing on celebrating this work that we’ve all put in together for season 3, and really shedding light on that hard work and trying to focus on that and move forward with what’s ahead, and I think it’ll be exciting to see Liam’s interpretation of this character."
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Cavill announced his exit from The Witcher last year, saying in a statement: "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."
Cavill added: "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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"Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find."
While some fans were surprised at the move to continue the show beyond Cavill's exit, executive producer Steve Gaub explained to RadioTimes.com: "I think, holistically, Henry gave us an incredible three seasons of Geralt, but there's been so many franchises that have had really strong title characters and eventually, for whatever reason, personal decision or just the length of time frame, the title character changes actors.
"But you always have the strength of the property to lean into, and we're trusting that the world of The Witcher, the continent, the IP itself, is what is drawing a lot of fans.
"We love everything that Henry gave us as Geralt, and now we're really excited about what Liam can give us as a Geralt, much like there's been different James Bonds, different Doctor Whos, different Spider-Mans.
"We're now one of those properties, and we aim to serve the property right and continue on with a really strong Geralt."
The Witcher season 3 volume 1 will be available to stream on Netflix from 29th June. You can sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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