The Witcher has been renewed for Season 4 at Netflix, but its leading man will not return.
Henry Cavill will exit the series at the end of The Witcher Season 3, paving the way for Liam Hemsworth to take over the iconic role.
“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 4,” Cavill said 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,” Cavill continued.
“Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find.”
“As a Witcher fan I’m over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia,” Hemsworth shared.
“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.”
The news is undoubtedly a shocker, but it will be fun to see how the series navigates a new face for its most important character.
The Witcher Season 3 is in post-production ahead of a planned summer 2023 bow on the streaming service.
To tide fans over until then, a limited series set before the events of the first season, is on the horizon.
The Witcher Blood Origin premieres on December 25.
“As monarchs, mages, and beasts of the Continent compete to capture her, Geralt takes Ciri of Cintra into hiding, determined to protect his newly-reunited family against those who threaten to destroy it,” according to the official Season 3 logline.
Entrusted with Ciri’s magical training, Yennefer leads them to the protected fortress of Aretuza, where she hopes to discover more about the girl’s untapped powers; instead, they discover they’ve landed in a battlefield of political corruption, dark magic, and treachery.”
“They must fight back, put everything on the line — or risk losing each other forever.”
Cavill recently revealed his return to the DC universe in the role of Clark Kent, aka Superman.
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.