The Witcher season 4: Everything we know so far

Netflix recently made some exciting announcements about The Witcher season 4. The show's fourth season was announced as early as October 2022, long before season 3 started airing on the platform in June 2023. The exit of actor Henry Cavill and the confirmation of Liam Hemsworth for the role were announced at the same time.

Based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s short stories and novels, the show blends the author’s stories based on a fictional world in various orders. At the end of season 3, Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer went their own ways, hinting at the possibilities of their coming together or leading separate fights.

With Henry Cavill’s departure from the show causing concern about his replacement in The Witcher season 4, there is now speculation about the story focusing more on Ciri instead of on Geralt.

Disclaimer: The article may contain spoilers for season 3

Will Henry Cavill be in The Witcher season 4 to introduce his replacement?

The biggest news about The Witcher season 4 is that Henry Cavill will no longer reprise Geralt's role. The show’s producer, Lauren Hissrich, told Hollywood Reporter in a November 2021 interview that Cavill was unhappy about the dialogues of Geralt and the turns the plot was taking.

This partly answers the question of why Henry Cavill left the franchise, despite many speculating that Cavill’s exit is tied to his wish to play Superman in DC Movies.

The storyline of The Witcher season 3 ends in the middle of an arc that will need to be explained in The Witcher season 4. While fans are wondering how Liam Hemsworth will become the titular character, showrunners feel that the actor must be introduced carefully to explain the change in the cast.

Henry Cavill welcomed the new cast for Geralt in an Instagram post in October 2022.

How and when does Liam Hemsworth become The Witcher?

The show writers reportedly plan to introduce a multiverse in the storyline. In an exclusive with RadioTimes in July this year, producer Tomek Baginski hinted at the initiation of POVs and multiple worlds to introduce the new vision of Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt.

This revelation has received mixed reactions from fans of the show who do not want the plot to deviate too much from the original story. While some fans hope that Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt only moves within worlds and not the multiverse, others have shown concern about not staying true to the source material.

It remains to be seen whether Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt brings the casting change into focus or lets it go unnoticed. The actor, famed for his roles in The Hunger Games franchise and Independence Day: Resurgence, has created curiosity and anticipation among fans.

What else we know about The Witcher season 4

While speaking to RadioTimes, Baginski further teased that the plot for season 3 is very close to the original book and they intend to keep things close to the source as much as possible. The show producers also dropped hints at season 3 ending on a cliffhanger to leave a wider scope for The Witcher season 4 to explore.

Baginski revealed that the show from season 3 onwards will follow Ciri's journey, as is the basis of the original book. He teased that Ciri will expose her evil side before integrating into a complete human.

Cast and plot of The Witcher season 4

The main change in the cast for The Witcher season 4 is the replacement of Henry Cavill’s Geralt with Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt. Most of the other cast members from the previous season are expected reprise their roles. The expected cast for the fourth season are:

Liam Hemsworth – Geralt of Rivia
Anya Chalotra - Yennefer of Vengerberg
Freya Allan – Ciri
Mahesh Jadu – Vilgefortz
Joey Batey – Jaskier
Eamon Farren – Cahir
Mimi M Khasiya – Fringilla Vigo
Bart Edwards – Emperor Emhyr
Cassie Clare – Philippa Eilhart
Hugh Skinner – Prince Radovid
Mecia Simpson – Francesca Findabair
Graham McTavish – Sigismund Dijkstra
Sharlto Copley – Leo Bonhart

Plot-wise there are more battles and conflicts coming up in The Witcher season 4 adding to the action-packed entertainer. The story after season 3 may follow Ciri as she joins a group of bandits called The Rats, who rob the rich to meet their needs.

The plot may also involve the events of the Baptism of Fire after Geralt regains from the Thanedd Island coup and is on his way to Nilfgard with other members joining him and his Hansa. Since Yennefer has formed the Lodge of Sorceresses, she is expected to assemble her team in the upcoming season.

Production and release of the show

Season 3 is a goodbye for Henry Cavill's Geralt (Image via Netflix)

The trailer for The Witcher season 4 is not available yet. Slated to start filming in September 2023, the filming is seeing a delay due to the WGA and SAG strikes. The crew may start production in early 2024, though there is no official word from the production team or the channel as yet.

A tentative guess at the release date could be sometime in the summer of 2025, giving fans some clarity on whether The Witcher season 4 will be followed by a season 5. Meanwhile, all previous seasons are currently streaming on Netflix.

About the author

Poushali is a comics and pop culture writer at Sportskeeda with a Master's degree in English Literature and an Advanced Diploma in Creative Writing. With a mammoth 17 years of experience under her belt at companies such as InfoCognitio, Tata Interactive Systems, ICFAI, Wordsmith, DAV Public School, and more, Poushali strives to create the most engaging and compelling content.

Poushali's years of experience also mean that she is a master in conducting in-depth research on any topic she covers, and cross-checking facts with official sources to produce top-notch content.

Poushali admires the late Chef Anthony Bourdain for his openness to world cultures and also looks up to Shah Rukh Khan's hard work and dedication to his craft. If she could travel back in time, she would love to be part of the classic 'The Sound of Music' as she appreciates its cinematography, script, and narrative.

When she's not working, Poushali enjoys binging on the latest K-dramas, Hollywood shows, and Indian series across OTT platforms.

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Edited by Upasya Bhowal