Netflix, the streaming giant, has unveiled the first peek of actor Liam Hemsworth as the character Geralt from the series “The Witcher”. The reveal also details how the show will explain the change of the main star.
After three seasons of “The Witcher”, actor Henry Cavill, who originally portrayed Geralt, will be replaced by Hemsworth in the fourth season. Hemsworth was first spotted in his new costume during filming, which has now been followed by the official images.
The 40-second teaser released by Netflix begins with a shot of Geralt and Roach reflected in water, coming out of the fog. It then moves to a close-up of the medallion of the Wolf School, following which Geralt dramatically turns towards the camera revealing Hemsworth.
The reason behind the replacement of the actors is explained by Redanian Intelligence. They reveal that the fourth season of “The Witcher” begins a hundred years after the events of the show, where the character Stribog shares the legend of Geralt of Rivia with a group of children:
- Stribog narrates the battle with Vilgefortz while children add their own touches, only to be countered by Stribog saying, “That didn’t happen” or “He didn’t look like that”;
- As this takes place, the series shows different versions of the confrontation, including one where Geralt is seen in the armor from the second season, most likely a result of the children’s misinterpretations;
- It remains uncertain whether Cavill’s version of the character will be deemed historically inaccurate, or if it refers to merely incorrect details of the armor and makeup which will appear on Hemsworth;
- The series creators have promised an explanation for replacing Cavill that aligns with the book canon, where scenes with Stribog and children did indeed exist.
The fourth and fifth seasons of “The Witcher” by Netflix will be filmed back-to-back. These seasons aim to cover the remainder of Andrzej Sapkowski’s book saga, which includes “Baptism of Fire”, “The Tower of the Swallow”, and “Lady of the Lake”.
The “Witcher” series by Netflix debuted in December 2019 with the second season premiering in December 2021, and the third in the summer of 2023, split into two parts. The premiere date for the fourth season has yet to be announced.
