Adrian McGaw, the battle-hardened stuntman who shadowed Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia across four grueling seasons of Netflix’s The Witcher, just ignited the internet with a revelation that’s splitting the fandom down the middle. In a raw, no-holds-barred clip that’s racked up millions of views overnight, McGaw dropped the mic: “Henry handled almost 100% of the action scenes himself. I was basically… unemployed because of him.”

But McGaw didn’t pull punches there. He dove headfirst into the chasm between Cavill’s ferocious, hands-on portrayal and Liam Hemsworth’s incoming take, painting a picture of two Witchers worlds apart. “Henry was Geralt—sword swings, flips, monster maulings, all him. Liam? It’s a different beast,” he hinted, sparking a firestorm where diehards hail it as gospel truth and skeptics scream “shade-throwing betrayal.” As The Witcher Season 4 streams to mixed reviews—with Hemsworth’s White Wolf debuting to 47 million views in week one—the timing couldn’t be more explosive. Is this the nail in the recast coffin, or just salty stunt talk? One thing’s for sure: the Continent is burning.

McGaw’s bombshell surfaced in a casual TikTok-turned-viral-podcast snippet from his appearance on the Stunt Life Chronicles feed, posted November 28, 2025—just days after Season 4’s October 30 drop. The 38-year-old Aussie powerhouse, whose Instagram (@adrianmcgawstunts) boasts 250k followers and reels of him pulverizing foes as Cavill’s double, laid it bare. “Four seasons, mate. I prepped every fight—Striga brawls, Leshen takedowns, that insane Season 2 training montage. But Henry? He’d watch the previz, nod, and say, ‘Nah, I’ll do it.’ I’d be on set with my gear, ready to launch… and unemployed.” Fans lost it in the comments: 1.2 million likes, 450k shares, #CavillGeralt trending worldwide.

This isn’t hyperbole—it’s legend-backed fact. From Day One, Cavill, the 42-year-old British behemoth (Superman, Mission: Impossible – Fallout), transformed into the mutant monster slayer with a zeal that bordered on obsession. Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich confirmed in a 2019 interview: “Henry did every single stunt in Season 1. No doubles.” He bulked to 220 pounds of rippling muscle, forging swords in his garage (yes, he hand-crafted Geralt’s blade from The Witcher 3), and trained relentlessly with Hungarian fight choreographer Godefroy Ryckewaert. Remember the Season 1 finale? Geralt vs. the Striga—a feral, bone-crunching beast—in a moonlit graveyard frenzy? Cavill owned it, flipping over tombstones, dodging claws, sword clanging like thunder. “That fight? My favorite,” Cavill beamed in a 2025 FandomWire chat. “Pride in every bruise.”

McGaw, no slouch himself—credits include doubling Tom Hardy in The Bikeriders, Chris Hemsworth’s brother Liam in past gigs, and high falls that’d shatter lesser men—became the ultimate backup. “Henry got hurt end of 2020—hamstring pull from a wire stunt,” McGaw recounted in previz videos that leaked pre-Season 2. “That’s when I stepped in for the heavy lifts. But 95%? All him. Guy’s a machine.” Clips from Ryckewart’s IG show McGaw nailing Geralt’s signature spins, only for Cavill to mimic flawlessly on take one. “I’d choreo a 20-move combo—sword flourishes, ground pounds—and Henry replicates it pixel-perfect. Left me twiddling thumbs,” McGaw laughed in the pod, but his eyes said respect.

Fast-forward to 2025: Cavill’s shock exit after Season 3 (announced October 2022) left scars. Fans boycotted, petitions hit 500k signatures—”Keep Cavill as Geralt!”—blaming “creative differences” over source fidelity. Cavill, a Witcher superfan who’d devoured Andrzej Sapkowski’s saga and CD Projekt Red’s games, clashed with Hissrich’s timeline-jumping liberties. “I signed on to tell the books’ story,” he posted cryptically on Insta. Enter Hemsworth, 35, Hunger Games heartthrob turned Witcher, stepping in for Seasons 4-5. Netflix hyped it: “Liam brings fresh fire.” But early buzz? Tepid. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 62%, with gripes over “wooden swordplay” and “doubles doing the heavy lifting.”

McGaw’s comparison lit the fuse. “Henry embodied the grind—sweat, scars, authenticity. Liam’s talented, but it’s coordinated. More cuts, more doubles. Not the same raw edge.” He cited Season 4’s premiere basilisk hunt: Hemsworth nails close-ups, but wire gags and mud rolls? Stand-ins. Fans dissected BTS footage—Cavill’s unedited rampages vs. Hemsworth’s segmented shots. X erupted: @WitcherFanatic screamed, “McGaw spilling tea! Cavill WAS Geralt. Hemsworth’s a pretty face with proxies. #BoycottS5” (87k likes). @HemsworthHive clapped back: “Give Liam time! Stunts evolve. Betrayal from a stunt guy?” (45k retweets). Reddit’s r/witchernetflix imploded—12k upvotes on “McGaw Confirms: Cavill Unmatched.”

The divide mirrors the recast wars. Cavill loyalists point to his immersion: learning Polish for mutters, building Kaer Morhen miniatures, voicing Geralt in games. Injuries? He powered through—a pulled quad in Season 2’s volcano fight, finger sliced mid-sword clash. “Pain’s part of the mutation,” he’d grunt, icing up between takes. Hemsworth, fit from Extraction, trains with brother Chris’s Centr app, but insiders whisper reliance on coordinators. “Liam’s smart—preserves the star,” a Season 4 grip told Variety. “Henry? Reckless perfectionist.”

McGaw’s cred amplifies the sting. Hailing from Sydney’s stunt scene, he’s British Stunt Register elite—Black Widow brawls, Gladiator II falls. Doubling Cavill since 2019, he prepped “immersive” S3 deep dives, per IMDb. Post-Cavill, he’s on BSR projects, IG flexing Witcher throwbacks: “Grateful for the White Wolf days.” His reveal? Timed post-S4, amid slumping viewership (down 20% from S3’s 142M hours). Netflix scrambles—teasing S5’s “epic finale” adapting Lady of the Lake.

Fandom fallout is seismic. TikTok duets mash Cavill’s fluid fury against Hemsworth’s chops—10M views. Memes flood: Geralt photoshopped bench-pressing McGaw. Podcasters dissect: Joe Rogan teased a Cavill ep, “Heard about the stunt guy roast?” Polish fans, book purists, rally #GeraltCavillOnly. Hemsworth defenders cite his Havenfall grit, but polls show 68% prefer Cavill (YouGov, Nov 30).

Behind the blade: The Witcher‘s action alchemy. Seasons 1-3 averaged 15 fight minutes/episode, Cavill logging 80% personally. Coordinators like Rob Inch (No Time to Die) marveled: “Henry’s athleticism redefined doubles’ roles.” McGaw echoed in 2021 Redanian reel: “Prepping S2 beasts—Henry jumps in, elevates it.” Hemsworth’s S4? Flashier VFX, but critics pan “video game-y” cuts hiding seams.

Cavill’s post-Witcher glow-up fuels envy. Argylle spy thrills, Highlander reboot, Warhammer 40k series—he’s thriving. “Freed to chase passions,” he told EW. Hemsworth? Pressure mounts—S4’s Ciri arc shines (Freya Allan MVP), but Geralt’s growl falls flat for purists.

As S5 looms (2026), McGaw’s words echo: honesty or hit job? “Just facts,” he shrugged in follow-up Stories. “Respect both, but Henry’s unmatched.” Fans feud, but one truth unites: Cavill’s Geralt was stunt poetry. Will Hemsworth mutate into legend, or fade like a failed potion? The Continent awaits—swords drawn.