Many fans have expressed disappointment over Henry Cavill’s departure from the Netflix show The Witcher following the Season 4 premiere on Thursday.
Liam Hemsworth now plays Geralt on the show.
Cavill played the white-haired protagonist in the first three seasons of the Netflix series, adapted from CD Projekt Red’s video game franchise and Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels of the same name.
An X user complained that the new Geralt in The Witcher Season 4 looks fake and unconvincing.
In October 2022, Cavill announced his exit from the series, revealing that Hemsworth would take over the role of the titular witcher.
Hemsworth will play the role at least for the next two seasons, according to Netflix.
“I really struggled to get through Season 4 of The Witcher. Henry Cavill made it a bit watchable for three seasons but recasting him was a poor decision and then shit writing and poor visuals,” wrote a fan on X.
Another X user said Hemsworth fails to match Henry Cavill as an action hero.
“Liam Hemsworth as Geralt is just… bad. No spark, no soul, zero chemistry with Yennefer. Even the scenes with Ciri feels off… seriously need Henry Cavill back,” quipped another user on X.
The new season follows Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri, who are separated and traversing the war-ravaged Continent and its many demons. If they can embrace and lead the groups of misfits they find themselves in, they have a chance of surviving the baptism of fire — and finding one another again.
However, the new season also garnered positive reactions from some fans.
A fan gushed over Episode 1, saying that many of their favorite scenes from Baptism of Fire have finally come to life on screen
An X user expressed sadness over Liam Hemsworth replacing Henry Cavill in scenes from previous seasons as well.
Apart from Liam, The Matrix trilogy actor Laurence Fishburne has joined The Witcher as Regis, described as “a world-wise barber-surgeon with a mysterious past”. Sharlto Copley joined the cast as the infamous bounty hunter Leo Bonhart, James Purefoy as Emhyr’s court advisor and high-ranking spy Skellen, and Danny Woodburn as the dwarf Zoltan.
An X user shared mixed feelings after watching The Witcher Season 4, praising the action and familiar characters while expressing disappointment over Liam playing Geralt.