Henry Cavill’s Exit From THE WITCHER Had Been Planned for a While, Liam Hemsworth Says He Went Offline After Fan Backlash
When Netflix announced that Liam Hemsworth would be stepping into the role of Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher after Henry Cavill’s departure, the internet erupted with strong opinions.
The reaction was so intense that Hemsworth admits he had to disappear from social media for most of last year just to block out the noise.
“There was quite a bit of noise and I had to put that aside. It started to become a distraction. I dealt with that sort of thing in the past a lot and, you know, at the end of the day, I love making movies and I love telling stories and acting.
“I just don’t want any of that to affect my way of telling the story that I’m trying to tell. I jumped off social media and the internet most of last year.”
Hemsworth will officially debut as Geralt in The Witcher Season 4, which hits Netflix October 30, and he’ll carry the role into the show’s fifth and final season.
But the transition wasn’t easy for fans. Cavill, who headlined the series for three seasons, had built a deep connection with audiences. To ease the blow, Cavill gave Hemsworth his blessing right away, writing:
“In my stead, the fantastic Mr. Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf. As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam’s take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men.”
Series creator Lauren Hissrich revealed that Cavill’s departure wasn’t a sudden decision but something that had been in the works for a while.
“He had plans for other roles that he really wanted to commit himself to. And for us, you don’t want to hold someone and force them to be doing something that they don’t want to do. I think that’s why it felt like a really symbiotic decision.”
Not everyone on set took the news lightly. Anya Chalotra, who plays Yennefer, admitted that she “cried” when she learned Cavill was leaving.
“I remember it so vividly. It really impacted me. We were so bonded to these people, and to lose such an important member of the team…I’ve put everything into this character. I started [Witcher] having not much work under my belt, and this show means the world to me. So it hurt.”
Still, Hissrich made it clear the series was never in danger of ending with Cavill’s exit.
“We never really had serious conversations about the show not continuing. The show is bigger than one actor. It’s bigger than me. There’s a book series, there’s a video game. We are the third entry into this. So The Witcher lives whether or not we go.”
Cavill’s final ride as Geralt came in Season 3, which dropped in two parts last summer. Now, all eyes are on Hemsworth as he takes up the swords and silver hair in the next chapter of the fantasy epic. Will he be able to effectively pull it off? We’ll find out soon.
Source: Entertainment Weekly