THE WITCHER Creator Reveals the Moment They Knew Liam Hemsworth Was the Perfect Geralt — GeekTyrant
The Witcher Season 4 is coming with one of the biggest changes since the show first hit Netflix as Liam Hemsworth taking over as Geralt of Rivia, following Henry Cavill’s departure.
It’s no easy task stepping into the boots of a character so defined by another actor, and there are a lot of fans that aren’t happy with it, but according to The Witcher’s creator and showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, Hemsworth’s arrival instantly proved he was the right choice.
Hissrich told GamesRadar+:
“What I thought he brought to that character was this real sort of emotional depth and this vulnerability and the ability to sort of be falling in love, but also be part of this really scopic world.”
For Hissrich, the casting wasn’t about finding someone to mimic Cavill’s interpretation, but rather someone who could bring something new and necessary to this next chapter of Geralt’s story.
Season 4 finds the White Wolf at his lowest point, physically beaten and emotionally shattered after his defeat by Vilgefortz in the Season 3 finale. Hissrich explained:
“We knew that Geralt this season has a very different story than he’s had in past seasons. When we find Geralt in season four, he’s at the lowest place he’s ever been.
“He’s a broken man. He’s been beaten by Vilgefortz. He’s injured. He’s in pain, not to mention, obviously, he has lost his daughter. He doesn’t know where she is. He’s lost the love of his life, and he is at his lowest of lows.”
That emotional depth was key for the creative team to finding the right actor to carry Geralt through this darker arc.
“So we also knew we wanted to find someone who would be able to bring the gruffness and the sort of action star that we know from Geralt, but to be able to bring this undercurrent of a man who’s lost a lot of things.
“Liam does such a beautiful job of walking that line of being able to be emotional without being weak; to be vulnerable, without being fully exposed all the time.”
Hissrich also admitted that Hemsworth’s physicality didn’t hurt, and said with a laugh:
“Let’s be honest, he’s Liam Hemsworth. You look at him, and he has the look of someone who can wield a sword.”
But it was Hemsworth’s first day on set that sealed the deal. His blend of raw emotion and commanding presence convinced everyone that the mantle of Geralt was in capable hands.
“When he landed the first day, and he brought these two things together, that sort of emotional character piece and this sort of hulking physicality, we knew we’d made the right choice.”
Fans have been calling Hemsworth the dollar-store version of Cavill, but they will finally get to see Hemsworth’s take on the monster-hunting legend when The Witcher Season 4 premieres on Netflix on October 30.
