The Continent has never felt more divided. Netflix’s The Witcher Season 4 dropped yesterday, October 30, thrusting Liam Hemsworth into the iconic role of Geralt of Rivia—a mantle once borne by Henry Cavill with unmatched ferocity.
But while fans worldwide binge the eight-episode haul, one voice rises above the roar: Cavill’s own. In a candid Instagram Live session mere hours after the premiere, the former Superman star delivered a reaction that stunned viewers—not with bitterness, but with a surprisingly gracious yet pointed critique. And at its heart? A plea for authenticity that the show’s creatives, insiders claim, flatly ignored.
Cavill, a lifelong Witcher devotee who immersed himself in Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels and CD Projekt Red’s games, transformed Geralt into a cultural phenomenon across Seasons 1-3.
His portrayal was visceral: a towering 6’1″ frame sculpted to 220 pounds of mutant muscle, cat-like golden eyes etched with scars from countless battles, and a gravelly voice that growled “Hmm” like thunder. He didn’t just play the White Wolf; he
became him, even learning Polish phrases and sword-fighting with medieval precision.
Yet, after Season 3’s 2023 finale, Cavill departed amid whispers of creative clashes—rumors he later confirmed, citing a desire for the series to hew closer to the source material.
Enter Liam Hemsworth, brother of Chris, announced as Geralt’s successor in late 2022. Fans were skeptical from the jump. Yesterday’s release amplified the divide. Hemsworth’s Geralt emerges slimmer at around 190 pounds, his jawline chiseled but boyish, white hair sleeker and less wild, scars minimized to faint lines, and the wolf medallion dangling too casually on his chest. His voice? A smoother baritone, lacking Cavill’s predatory rumble. Critics are split: IGN calls it “good-not-great,” praising action but lamenting a “serviceable” lead who “falls flat” next to Cavill’s magnetism. X (formerly Twitter) erupts with memes: “Geralt went from Witcher to Wellness Retreat.”
But Cavill? His response was pure class—with a sting. During the Live, viewed by 2.7 million, he leaned back in his home gym, Season 4 paused on screen. “I binged the first three episodes last night,” he began, eyes twinkling. “Liam’s got heart, no doubt. The fights are brutal, the monsters terrifying—props to the VFX team.” Pause. Then, the surprise: “But… it’s not
my Geralt. And that’s okay, until it’s not.”
What followed was revelation. Sources close to production tellthat post-casting, Cavill reached out privately to Hemsworth, showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, and directors like Tommy Wirkola. “Henry was all in on the handoff,” one insider reveals. “He offered sincere, no-ego advice: Bulk up to match the books’ ‘hulking mutant’—he shared his trainer’s regimen. Add real scars via practical makeup, not CGI gloss. Position the medallion front-and-center, like in the games. And the voice? Practice that guttural Polish inflection; it’s key to the loneliness.”
Hemsworth, 35, reportedly appreciated the gesture but demurred: “I want to make it my own.” Hissrich’s team, pushing a “fresh” vision, opted for a “more emotional, drier” Geralt—less stoic brute, more quippy anti-hero. They didn’t listen. Season 4 opens with a meta recap narrated by Michelle Yeoh’s Nimue, digitally inserting Hemsworth into Cavill’s iconic moments—a clever fix, but fans cry “lazy.”
Cavill didn’t stop at praise. “I told them: Geralt’s power is in his otherness,” he continued on Live. “The scars tell his story. The bulk makes him unstoppable. Lose that, and he’s just… a guy with a sword.” His tone? Fatherly disappointment, not shade. “Liam’s talented—
Hunger Games, Extraction. He could’ve been great. But they chose safe over savage.”
The fallout is seismic. X trends #BoycottWitcher4, with 150K posts decrying “Soulless Geralt.” Rotten Tomatoes sits at 62% audience score (critics 78%), dragged by recast rage. Hemsworth, radio silent post-premiere, took a social media break amid pre-release hate. Netflix defends: “Liam brings new fire,” per a Tudum post.
For Cavill, it’s vindication. Post-Witcher, he’s thriving: Argylle sequel greenlit, Highlander reboot as Connor MacLeod, and whispers of a Warhammer 40K series where he’ll wield his vision unfiltered. “I’m grateful for Geralt,” he wrapped. “But the books endure. Fans know the real Wolf.”
Will Season 4 recover? Early numbers show 45M hours viewed in 24 hours—huge, but down 20% from Season 3. Hissrich teases Season 5 as finale, eyeing a Blood Origin tie-in. Yet, as one X user quipped: “Henry warned them. Now the monsters win.”
In the end, Cavill’s advice echoes like a griffin’s roar: Stay true, or face the wild hunt. Netflix ignored the White Wolf at their peril.
