Henry Cavill will be replaced by Liam Hemsworth in The Witcher season 4. Cavill started his run as Geralt, the lead character of the fantasy series adapted from the fantasy novels by Andrzej Sapkowski, in 2019. The actor, who has stated previously that he is a fan of the video games created based on the series' source material, returned as the stoic monster hunter for The Witcher season 2, which aired last year. Cavill's turn as Geralt has been lauded due to the actor's interest in the source material, his commitment to doing his own sword work and stunts, and his amusingly impassive line delivery. News about The Witcher season 3, which was confirmed in late 2021, has recently centered on a brief delay in production, reportedly attributed to COVID-19. Despite the delay, Netflix previously announced that the season would release in summer 2023, with Cavill confirmed to return alongside the rest of the series regulars, namely Ciri's Freya Allan and Yennefer's Anya Chalotra. However, news has recently broken that Cavill will not be returning as Geralt for The Witcher season 4. Related: Blood Origin Is Already Making A Massive The Witcher Retcon

In a post announcing his departure from the series, Cavill reveals he will be replaced as Geralt by Liam Hemsworth in The Witcher season 4. In addition, Netflix confirmed the change with their own follow-up tweet, and thus confirming the show had also been picked up for another season. Hemsworth starred previously in the dystopian franchise The Hunger Games, as Gale Hawthorne, and has since taken several dramatic roles. Cavill will portray Geralt for the final time in The Witcher season 3. See the announcements from Cavill and Netflix above:

How The Casting Change Will Affect The Witcher Season 4

Despite Cavill's fandom of the source material and dedication to his role as Geralt, it's understandable given his busy schedule that he will be stepping down from the intense role. The fantasy world of The Witcher, which has scaled up to a successful franchise, involves large-scale production and a demanding shooting schedule. Outside of his turn as Sherlock Holmes in the Enola Holmes films, the second of which will debut next month, Cavill has recently made headlines due to his return to the DC Extended Universe as Superman. Rather than accommodating Cavill's demanding schedule, switching out the series' star will allow for a smooth transition into season 4, hopefully with minimal delays.

It may be surprising that Cavill has made the difficult choice to depart the role, but Hemsworth could be a strong successor to the franchise's leading man, especially coming off of his Emmy nomination for Most Dangerous Game. With Hemsworth taking up the mantle, fans of the show can hopefully expect a similarly charismatic version of the titular Witcher, namely as Cavill has shown his support for his successor. Cavill's version of Geralt will be missed by The Witcher fans, but electing to recast the character with a talent such as Hemsworth will hopefully allow for the quality of the show to remain the same as it transitions seamlessly into season 4.

Next: The Witcher's Best Season 3 Setup Would Be A Huge Book Change

Source: Henry Cavill/Instagram, Netflix/Twitter