Why Liam Hemsworth may actually be a good replacement for Henry Cavill in The Witcher

Fans of Netflix’s fantasy drama The Witcher were given the fright of a lifetime when Henry Cavill announced that he would be leaving the role of the Geralt of Riviera in October 2022. The series’ protagonist, a magical monster hunter, accurately depicts the character as portrayed in the source material, the novel series of the same name by Polish creator Andrzej Sapkowsk.

While Liam Hemsworth was speedily announced as Cavill’s replacement for the upcoming season 4 of the series, fans constantly doubted whether the actor could replace the former Superman, who was one of the biggest reasons behind the series’ initial success.

On May 22, Netflix released the first look at the character with respect to Hemsworth’s portrayal. Fans were left disappointed with multiple aspects of the teaser. However, it is not only a bit too early to judge Hemsworth’s portrayal of the role since there are several reasons why the actor might as well be the ideal replacement.

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Liam Hemsworth may prove everyone wrong by becoming the ideal Henry Cavill replacement in The Witcher

First and foremost, the fog-filled trailer teaser does not do justice to Hemsworth's character, who does not even utter a word during the 50-second video. Instead, fans see him walk into a field with a horse, eventually giving one look into the camera before the screen pans out to The Witcher poster.

Fans were quick to point out elements, such as the lack of grunting, which Henry Cavill ensured in his portrayal because he wanted to portray the character as accurately as possible. However, considering the weight of expectations, Liam Hemsworth might simply be better off giving his spin to the character.

There is no doubt that Hemsworth has been given a role that most actors might refuse, considering the potential backlash from the fandom, as Cavill had for years. However, when it comes to the source material, Hemsworth’s build and height are ideal for the character.

Hemsworth, who stands at 191 cm, is closer to the actual 198 cm long character, as described in the books and seen in video games, rather than Cavill, who stands at 185 cm. Furthermore, one look at the character as depicted in the video games, and fans will know that Hemsworth looks similar to Geralt of Rivia and that Cavill became the face of the character due to his acting brilliance alone.

The teaser also promises a level of continuity, as Hemsworth is seen wearing the same armor that Cavill’s Geralt of Rivia does during pivotal moments from The Witcher.

Despite not looking exactly like the monster hunter, Cavill received praise due to the extent to which he went for the role. From the body language and the way of speaking to the iconic ‘grunting’ that fans have gotten used to in the three seasons, it was Cavill’s acting talent that made him the perfect Geralt of Rivia.

Liam Hemsworth may not boast of roles similar to Cavill's. However, he has proved his acting mettle in the industry through a plethora of serious roles. The 33-year-old, the youngest of the Hemsworth brothers, has previously been seen in genuinely difficult roles in projects such as The Expendables 2, The Hunger Games, Killer Bank, and Empire State.

That is exactly what the Geralt of Rivia is, and considering that Liam Hemsworth already has a clear advantage over his predecessor due to his looks, the ball is now in the actor’s court to prove fans and critics wrong with his performance.

Thus far, while various details of the upcoming iteration have been released, Netflix has yet to announce a release date. Further trailer releases of Hemsworth's portrayal of the character might reduce fans' judgment scrutiny.