Liam Hemsworth will have to go to extreme lengths to present Geralt the way Henry Cavill did during his time in The Witcher.

Geralt of Rivia, a magically enhanced mutant who slays monsters in exchange for money, is the protagonist of Netflix’s The Witcher franchise. Henry Cavill wielded his sword and portrayed the good-hearted mercenary, who helps others and avoids harming intelligent creatures, for the first three seasons of the popular drama series.
Henry Cavill in a still from The Witcher.
However, going into Season 4, The Witcher will have a new Geralt in Liam Hemsworth, a decision which is yet to sit right with fans. Among the many reasons why fans aren’t happy with this decision, the chief is Henry Cavill’s dedication to hitting the nail on its head when it comes to finding the balance between the showrunners’ vision and the source material.

Why Liam Hemsworth Will Struggle to Replace Henry Cavill as The Witcher

When Henry Cavill announced the decision to lay down his medallion and swords ahead of Season 4, he advised his successor Liam Hemsworth to enjoy exploring different layers of the White Wolf – the character which he described as the most fascinating and nuanced of men.
Liam Hemsworth and Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games.
This highlighted just how deep Cavill dove to understand the depth of the character from Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski’s series of fantasy novels. The 40-year-old not only read the books but also played The Witcher video game, which is insanely popular in its own right.

Ensuring his version of Geralt translates the essence of the book’s Butcher of Blaviken without impacting the showrunners’ approach has always been a priority for Cavill. In an interview with Philstar, he said:
“The toughest part for me was finding that balance between the showrunners’ vision and my love for the books, and trying to bring that Geralt to the showrunners’ vision. It’s about treading a fine line there. It’s the showrunners’ story and so it’s an adaptation. The tricky bit for me was finding Geralt from the books’ place within that and being able to serve both as much as I could.”

In fact, plenty of rumors suggested that one of the big reasons behind his exit was the failure to find an agreement over the show’s direction, with the actor keen to ensure it remains book-accurate. In particular, Season 2 saw the story move away from the source material.

Accordingly, while there’s little doubt about Hemsworth’s acting talents, it’s tough to see another actor push as much as Cavill to deliver Geralt of Rivia that’s true to Sapkowski’s vision.

What Henry Cavill Did to Bag the Part of Geralt in The Witcher

Another thing that Hemsworth, who impressed as skilled archer Gale Hawthorne in The Hunger Games, will have to master to become a worthy Geralt is his sword-using skills.
Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in a still from The Witcher.
Cavill went to extreme lengths to improve his ability. At one point he used to keep three swords at home and four at work to consistently train. The Man of Steel star revealed (via IMDb):
“I spent all of my free time, and when I wasn’t on set, with a sword in my hand. It was getting used to the weight of the sword, using it day in and day out. I had three swords where I lived, and four at work. And it was just non-stop practice, practice, practice.”
The actor’s dedication to the part of Geralt was obvious even before the show’s script was written by show-runner Lauren Schmidt, as Cavill asked his agents to get a meeting with Netflix before any approach was made from the other end. We can only hope that Hemsworth shows a similar level of passion for The Witcher to ensure the series continues to impress viewers.