Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in front of a circle of smoke in The Witcher season 3.

Liam Hemsworth addresses taking over for Henry Cavill in The Witcher. Cavill played the lead role of Geralt in The Witcher from the beginning of the series before exiting the show after The Witcher season 3. After stepping down as Geralt, Cavill was replaced by Hemsworth for The Witcher season 4. His replacement was highly controversial, as a number of fans felt that Cavill was an irreplaceable element to the show.

Speaking on Live with Kelly & Mark, Hemsworth discussed his experience taking over for Cavill on The Witcher. Hemsworth noted that at the time he got the call, he had neither seen the TV show nor read the books. He had, however, played the video game, which he called “one of the best video games of all time.” He said that he “was really excited by taking on that character because [he] was a fan of the video game.” Now, he is nine months into filming. Check out the full quote from Hemsworth below:

I hadn’t seen the TV show. And I hadn’t read the books. But I played the video game like ten years ago or something. And it’s still to this day one of the best video games of all time. And Netflix came to me almost two years ago now and said that they wanted me to just step in and take over.

I was really excited by taking on that character because I was a fan of the video game. But I said, you know, let me watch the TV show and have a look at the books and really get stuck into it.

I’ve been shooting a show called The Witcher for the past nine months. We were [in Wales] for two weeks. And the first week was beautiful sunshine, blue skies. And then the second week was kind of like tornado season.

What Hemsworth’s Statement Means For The Witcher

Liam Hemsworth’s Appreciation For The Games Is A Good Sign

Liam Hemsworth as Geralt in The Witcher, sporting white hair and looking stoic.

While diehard fans of The Witcher series may still have a gripe with the changeover from Cavill to Hemsworth, Hemsworth’s statement is a promising testament to how he will play the role. Even if he was not a big fan of TV series itself prior to getting offered the part by Netflix, Hemsworth was highly familiar with the franchise from the games. Such an avid fan of the games will likely be invested in doing right by Geralt’s interpretation, which bodes well for Hemsworth’s performance in the role.

The Witcher season 4 does not yet have a release date.

Hemsworth’s status as a fan of The Witcher video games also gives him more similarity to Cavill. An avid gamer, Cavill was known to be a big fan of the video games years before playing Geralt in the show, and has connected his experience playing the games with his reason for wanting to play the character in the show. Even fans who would much prefer Cavill in the role can appreciate his similar background to Hemsworth, which might make them more amenable to the change.

Our Take On The Witcher Switching From Henry Cavill To Liam Hemsworth

Signs Are Hopeful For Liam Hemsworth

Liam Hemsworth as Sgt. Kinney speaking on a walkie-talkie in Land of Bad

While I can understand the upset towards losing Cavill in The Witcher, I do see Hemsworth’s connection to the source material as a good sign. The video game is arguably the best medium of the franchise, as Hemsworth reflects in his statement. Thus, a fan of the games is one that can well portray this main character, and bring out the qualities to Geralt that make the character great. For these reasons, while nothing can be certain until The Witcher season 4’s release, I think there is still hope for Hemsworth’s portrayal.