The Witcher has gone through several issues in its three seasons on Netflix. When it was first announced that Netflix was working on a live-action fantasy series about The Witcher, fans were ecstatic, even likening the show to a possible replacement for Game of Thrones. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case because the writers and showrunners haven’t been faithful to the source material to please American audiences and attract a larger audience instead of focusing on only those who played the games or read the books.
The news of Henry Cavill leaving the series after Season 3 also didn’t help with fans’ hopes for a better Season 4. He is to be replaced by Liam Hemsworth. With Cavill hellbent on not returning to the role, Netflix had no choice but to find another actor to fill his shoes. And they chose Hemsworth. While Hemsworth is a recognized actor in Hollywood, he might not be enough to save the sinking ship in The Witcher series.
The Show’s Writers Weren’t Faithful to The Books
One of the main theories for recasting Witcher is that Cavill disagreed with the direction the writers were taking with the series, especially his character. Out of all the Seasons, Netflix has made of The Witcher, only the third season has come close to being faithful to the books, and that’s because of Cavill’s intervention, which might have made him difficult to work with, according to the showrunner Lauren Schmidt-Hissrich. However, it wasn’t as close to the books as Witcher fans would want. The Witcher’s executive producer, Tomek Baginski, told Polish publication Wyborcza (via Redanian Intelligence) that the changes from the books can go too far in their attempt to cater to an American audience, which is painful for the creators and viewers. They could not be willing to give Netflix another chance with the fourth season. These changes could also play a role in Season 4 not being as famous as Netflix hopes unless they try harder to be faithful to the books.
Recasting Henry Cavill With Liam Hemsworth Doesn’t Help The Witcher Season 4
While Hemsworth isn’t a new name to viewers, for most Witcher fans, Henry Cavill is Geralt of Rivia. Despite being an A-list actor, he has played the role for the last five years and showed his dedication to the lore and source material, which made fans only fall in love with his character more. Cavill became synonymous with the role, and viewers would watch the show to see him despite the glaring plot holes and issues over-romanticizing the character. Also, recasting the role on the heels of the disappointing news that Cavill won’t return for the next Superman film was a double heartbreak for viewers. From comments on X to reactions on other social media sites, most fans have clarified that they won’t watch the upcoming season because Cavill won’t be in it. Fans also don’t trust the showrunner to explain why Witcher looks different from the previous season. Will there be a time jump, or will viewers have to assume that this is how The Witcher looks now and move on?
Witcher Season 4 Isn’t Going to be About The Witcher
While the first three Seasons of The Witcher were about the Witcher, Geralt, the story has come a long way and is now more focused on Ciri. With Ciri knowing more about her powers and possibly reuniting with her villain of a father, Season 4 of The Witcher will probably not be centered around Geralt. Ciri is on a mission to reclaim her birthright while trying to stop the chaos of her immense power from consuming her. With her and her family being the main focus of this season, it’s unlikely that Geralt will get as much screen time as in the previous seasons. So Hemsworth’s appearance could be inconsequential to the Season’s larger story.
Liam Hemsworth’s Acting And Popularity
When Hemsworth was announced as the next Geralt of Rivia, fans weren’t please with the news. While they didn’t want Cavill to leave, replacing him with Hemsworth wasn’t the ideal casting choice. Yes, Hemsworth is tall and handsome, but he doesn’t portray the fierce nature required of The Witcher. However, Netflix has a good reputation for transforming actors if the Bridgerton glow-up is anything to go by, so they could still get rid of his baby-boy image for a more mature and gritty role.
For a long time, this younger Hemsworth brother was loved by many because of his roles in The Hunger Games and his relationship with pop star Miley Cyrus. After the end of their marriage, Hemsworth isn’t as famous as before being portrayed as the villain and possibly a cheater. So, to say that some of his fans will tune in to The Witcher just to see him is a bit of a stretch that Netflix can’t bank on. Here are ten most heartbreaking moments in the Witcher series.
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