Liam Hemsworth is so cautiously not awful as Geralt of Rivia that he’s basically invisible in The Witcher season 4
**Liam Hemsworth is Geralt Now: A Look at The Witcher Season 4**
It has been three years since Netflix announced that Liam Hemsworth would be taking over the lead role of Geralt in *The Witcher* series, replacing Henry Cavill. Since that announcement, fans have been waiting—wondering where Hemsworth’s performance would land on a scale from total trainwreck to “okay, I guess.” Given that this major recast happened four seasons into the show, expectations were understandably cautious.
Credit to Hemsworth, his performance is indeed: fine.
As if by design, the season’s writing sidelines Geralt behind the rest of his adventuring party. This choice ensures that Hemsworth avoids committing the sin of being memorable—whether that means being great or disastrously bad, either was possible but neither was delivered.
The Witcher Season 4 opens with a series of flashbacks that recap the story so far. These scenes slide Hemsworth into retellings of moments previously portrayed by Cavill, as if Hemsworth had been Geralt all along. It’s a strange creative choice — Netflix essentially trying to swap the “dead goldfish” in the tank even though fans had known this change was coming for years. At first, it felt uncanny watching Hemsworth behind the white wig, yellow eyes, grizzled stubble, and imposing silhouette, trying to reconcile the “similar but different” buff Hollywood guy before me.
For the rest of the season, Hemsworth maintains a solid standard of “just don’t mess it up.” One can almost imagine a roundtable of Netflix executives telling him, “Listen, just carry the baton to the finish line without tripping. No fancy moves.” In many ways, it’s Hemsworth doing an impression of Cavill doing an impression of Doug Cockle (the original voice actor for Geralt in the video games). After six years and three full seasons, what else could he really do but slot into the role as it was already defined?
The real disappointment is the missed opportunity. Hemsworth might have pulled off a coup with a more lore-accurate Geralt if the writers had allowed it. Season 4 offered an ideal moment to reorient Geralt from Cavill’s gravelly, brooding grunt to the talkative, sarcastic, slightly petty and wounded warrior from *Baptism of Fire*, one of the key books in the original Witcher series.
*Baptism of Fire* is a slower, plodding read but represents a major turning point for Geralt. Here, he ceases to be a detached impartial observer and literally places himself on the frontlines of the war between the northern kingdoms and the Nilfgaardian Empire.
Season 4 does depict Geralt assembling his motley crew of misfits as he embarks on yet another quest to track down Ciri. It also highlights his active involvement in the lives of common folk and his gradual opening up to his companions around the campfire. Some of Hemsworth’s inherent “brother charm” could have brought warmth and authenticity to these moments—like when Geralt lets loose over moonshine in a remote herbalist’s workshop, belonging to Regis, the group’s new enigmatic friend.
Instead, Hemsworth clings closely to the established Cavill portrayal—a brooding, stoic figure. Meanwhile, his adventuring party shines brighter as Geralt’s presence fades into the background. Laurence Fishburne, as Regis, outclasses Hemsworth in the soft-spoken philosophical department. Freya Allan, playing Ciri, at times outshines him with sharp-tongued, sarcastic banter, especially in the flashbacks.
There are moments when Hemsworth almost rises to the occasion—a pointed insult to Yennefer in an early flashback, or a brief philosophical exchange in Regis’s workshop. Yet, just as quickly, he recedes again, often serving as a silent listener or reaction shot to others’ lines.
One of Netflix’s promotional images for the season captures this effect perfectly: Geralt standing in the woods alongside Yennefer and Ciri, his face half-covered by Yen’s hair. A bizarrely staged shot where the title character is literally blurred into the background.
Given that Netflix reportedly shot seasons four and five simultaneously, it appears the streaming giant might want to wash its hands of *The Witcher* after failing to sustain the hype of its first season. The vibe suggests a desire to wrap up the series with minimal fuss, perhaps deciding it’s better for Hemsworth’s Geralt to quietly fade into the middle distance rather than drawing focused attention.
In the end, Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt is a safe, competent presence — neither a reinvention nor a disaster. But for fans hoping for a fresh take or deeper connection to the source material, the latest season’s portrayal feels like a missed opportunity.
https://www.pcgamer.com/movies-tv/liam-hemsworth-is-so-cautiously-not-awful-as-geralt-of-rivia-that-hes-basically-invisible-in-the-witcher-season-4/
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