'The Witcher' Has Been Renewed for Season Four — But with Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia

Overview

Get ready to toss a coin to your witcher, again — but they'll look more than a little different. For two seasons so far, Henry Cavill (Zack Snyder's Justice League) has played monster hunter Geralt of Rivia in Netflix's hit fantasy series The Witcher, and he'll be back again in season three when it arrives in 2023. After that, however, The Hunger Games, The Dressmaker and Independence Day: Resurgence's Liam Hemsworth will don the character's icy locks.

The Witcher has indeed been renewed for a fourth season before its third even airs — something that happened with season three before season two dropped as well, and with season two before season one debuted before that — but a huge change is afoot. Netflix has revealed that Cavill is stepping away from the show, with Hemsworth replacing him. The two actors also shared the news on social media.

"My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for season four," said Cavill in a statement.

"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. Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find."

As for Hemsworth, he added that "as a Witcher fan I'm over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia". He continued: "Henry Cavill has been an incredible Geralt, and I'm honoured that he's handing me the reins and allowing me to take up the White Wolf's blades for the next chapter of his adventure. Henry, I've been a fan of yours for years and was inspired by what you brought to this beloved character. I may have some big boots to fill, but I'm truly excited to be stepping into The Witcher world."

Need a refresher on the story so far? Haven't watched the first two seasons yet? If The Witcher's name sounds familiar, that's because it's based on the short stories and novels of writer Andrzej Sapkowski — and, as well as being turned into comics, it was adapted the video game series of the same name. A Polish film and TV show also reached screens in the early 2000s, although they were poorly received.

Liam Hemsworth in upcoming film Poker Face. Image: Brook Rushton.

In the Netflix show, Cavill plays the witcher of the title, aka the part that Hemsworth is taking over. Geralt of Rivia is a monster hunter who prefers to work — aka slay beasts — alone in a realm called The Continent. But life has other plans for the lone wolf, forcing him to cross paths with powerful sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra, Netflix's Wanderlust) and young princess Ciri (newcomer Freya Allan).

The Witcher franchise doesn't just include the show itself, but also animated flick The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, which hit Netflix in 2021. And, there's upcoming prequel series The Witcher: Blood Origin, too — which'll take place 1200 years before Geralt's time, span four episodes, star Everything Everywhere All At Once's Michelle Yeoh and arrive this December.

There's no sneak peek at the OG series' fourth season yet, or season three, but here's the trailer for season two in the interim:

The Witcher's third season will hit Netflix sometime in winter 2023 Down Under. The show's first and second seasons are currently available to stream.