Why did Henry Cavill leave The Witcher? Liam Hemsworth recast explained

Shockwaves rippled through the fanbase of Netflix’s flagship fantasy series when it was announced that star – and self-confessed The Witcher fan – Henry Cavill was hanging up the titular monster hunter’s sword and medallion.

Cavill took his final bow as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher’s third season, which aired in the summer of 2023 – less than a year after his shock departure was announced.

With seven seasons initially planned, Cavill announced that The Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth was set to be taking on the mantle of the role. It was confirmed shortly after that would be for the final two instalments, the fourth and fifth seasons were then filmed back-to-back.

However, the decision to recast has certainly been met with considerable scepticism from fans, particularly given Cavill’s well-documented passion for author Andrzej Sapkowski’s source material.

Here’s what we know about Cavill’s departure, Hemsworth’s decision to take on the role and showrunner Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich’s thoughts on The Hunger Game star’s portrayal of the iconic White Wolf.

Why did Henry Cavill leave The Witcher?

There’s been no shortage of speculation online following Cavill’s announcement, including rumours of a conflict with the writers over departures from the source material.

However, showrunner Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich has since clarified that Cavill had other roles he wanted to commit to, and she didn’t want to force him to finish the show.

Shortly after his departure, Cavill posted a video on Instagram confirming his return as Superman, following a cameo in the post-credits scene of Black Adam.

Unfortunately, the comeback was short-lived, as James Gunn later revealed that Cavill’s Superman was one of the casualties of the DCU reboot at DC Studios. He has since confirmed leading roles in the Highlander reboot and the Warhammer 40k TV series.

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com about the recast, Schmidt-Hissrich said: "I think it's been really interesting to talk to people about it, because it feels like new information out in the world, but we've lived through this for so long, and I think Henry has gone off, he’s happy, and is doing wonderful things. And he originated this character. He was brilliant at it.”

“And I think we opened a new chapter, and now we're with Liam, and I think it really is about just embracing where we're at and staying present. And we're just excited for everyone to see what Liam can now do."

Who is replacing Henry Cavill as Geralt on The Witcher?

As revealed in Cavill’s announcement, The Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth took on the mantle of the White Wolf, with the former Witcher star enthusiastic about the “fantastic” Aussie actor.

Following the announcement, Hemsworth praised the former Geralt, noting that he was “inspired” by and a fan of Cavill "for years". He also expressed that he, too, is a Witcher fan – an important factor in his decision to take on the iconic role.

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Hemsworth revealed that he was "pretty reluctant at that point” and that he had “a lot of concerns and questions about it all".

“I was a big fan of the video game and then I watched the series, and was a fan of the series, and I read the books."

Asked what specifically he was reluctant about, he reflected: "Just the situation [of] coming into a series that's already established a really passionate fanbase. I appreciate these fans, and I appreciate the fact that they care so much about it.”

"I think if I wasn't a fan myself, if I didn't care about it, I wouldn't have come on board. The reason I came on board was because I was a fan, and because I thought that I could do justice to this character. I thought that could bring an interesting interpretation to this part of the story."

He added that he was most excited about “where Geralt is at this part of the story – his emotional state, and where he's heading". He continued: “I think he's in a very real place of change and a place that I don't think he's been in often in his life. There's a lot of doubt and confusion and worry."

The upcoming series is set to adapt the events of Baptism of Fire, the third book in the main Witcher saga, focusing on the formation of Geralt’s rag-tag company – the Hansa – as they travel to Nilfgaard to rescue Ciri.

Hemsworth added: "It's through these other people around him that he sees how much love and care and how much they believe in his journey and his mission right now, yeah, that he's able to lean on them and accept that, help that you know, that he's really able to push forward and find himself again and find a new version of himself."

How has the show managed the transition between actors?

Henry Cavill was always going to be a tough act to follow, with Hemsworth having some big boots to fill – but showrunner Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich recently told RadioTimes.com how they approached the transition.

"We knew there were things that we knew that were really important to keep with Geralt – obviously, his look has to stay the same.”

"He's a different human being, but I think there's so many things that are sort of synonymous with Geralt, the white wig and the yellow eyes and the black leather and not wearing any colour, and the way he walks through the world.”

"Those things had to stay but really, those conversations were so driven by Liam the first time that we met.”

Whether recasting the iconic role has paid off, only time will tell. For now, we’ll toss a coin to our Witcher as season 4 arrives!

The Witcher season 4 is available to stream now on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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