By (presumably) no fault of his own, Henry Cavill has an annoying tendency to not finish what he started. He was Superman, then he wasn’t. He was Geralt of Rivia, then he wasn’t. Cavill’s exit from The Witcher left fans worried, with many wondering whether his replacement, Liam Hemsworth, would make an equally great impression. After all, there is a huge gulf in experience and star power between the two.
Although critics haven’t received season 4 (Liam’s first outing) well, the new lead’s performance has been widely praised. The fourth chapter has a 58% score on Rotten Tomatoes (the lowest in the series), but Liam has mostly been described as a worthy successor. Thor’s brother wasn’t the wrong person to take over from Superman after all.
The casting change happened after Cavill announced (via his Instagram account) that he would be “laying down my medallion and my swords” after season 3. According to showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, the actor chose to leave because he had plans for other roles that he wanted to commit himself to. Rather than cancel the show, Lauren and his team opted for a casting change.
So, here are 5 noticeable differences between Hemsworth and Cavill’s versions of the protagonist, Geralt of Rivia.
5
Henry Cavill’s Geralt Is Angrier and More Detached
Henry Cavill’s Geralt, as seen in the first three seasons, has the appearance of someone who left a snack in the refrigerator only to find that their sibling had eaten it. He seems on edge — a man in a constant state of apprehension who feels that the world has been permanently altered into a deadly and sinister landscape of danger. Contrarily, Hemsworth’s Geralt takes it easy. He is warm and approachable.
While watching Cavill’s Geralt, viewers become paralyzed with fear and anticipation. But it all makes sense. Here’s a character who has lived a tough life and is trying to ram his head through a brick wall. Geralt’s mother left him in the mountains of Kaedwen when he was still young, so he has had to fight hard to survive. When we first meet him, he is still bearing plenty of scars.
Hemsworth’s Geralt has already enjoyed the comfort of a few welcoming soft spots, so he has no reason to be angry all the time. Part of it is also down to the actor himself. Unwilling to (or perhaps unable to) embrace some of the character’s darker and weirder aspects, he dispenses with much of the melancholy in an attempt to carve up a more down-to-earth persona. And it works.
4
Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt Is a Better Fighter
The Witcher’s pilot episode started on a high note, with Cavill’s Geralt of Rivia’s battle with a kikimora in 1231. More action sequences followed all the way to season 3, though these were often quick, so that the show could switch back to drama. Interestingly, the action scenes involving Hemsworth’s Geralt are extensive and expertly choreographed, giving him the appearance of a better, dedicated fighter.
It’s easy to see why the approach to action was different when Cavill was involved. The Witcher had been hailed as the next Game of Thrones, and the producers (and probably Cavill himself) were keener on demonstrating dramatic range rather than spectacle. This Geralt needed to look intelligent and compassionate, not just fierce.
When Hemsworth came into the picture, there was a need to prove that he was as tough as Cavill, and what better way to do that than via the action sequences? In season 4, every battle scene is a tour de force of astounding inventiveness, infused with sparkling physical and visual acuity. It all feels like a vertiginous duet, especially that iconic moment in the season finale. We’d definitely love to see more of that.
3
Henry Cavill’s Geralt Is More Physically Imposing
It was always going to be hard for Liam Hemsworth to match Henry Cavill’s physicality. Though the current lead actor is taller (6’3 versus 6’1), he lacks the muscle. Cavill is said to have a strict daily workout routine, and the results are evident from his appearance. The same cannot be said of Hemsworth, whose Geralt looks more like an ordinary fella.
Skill is more important than physical appearance, but Arnold Schwarzenneger’s Conan and Dolph Lundgren’s He-Man gave us the impression that the hero of a medieval fantasy story couldn’t be badass if they didn’t have the muscle. Then came Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules and so on. Viewers thus expect monster slayers to have a ripped physique.
According to Forbes, production of season 5 has already wrapped up, so it would be folly to advise Hemsworth to bulk up a bit to match other fantasy action heroes, but it’s an easy thing to do if he wanted to. For example, Alan Ritchson is bigger in Reacher season 3 than he was in season 1. And he sure looks cooler.
2
Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt Shares the Glory
Cavill’s Geralt bossed most of the proceedings, but Hemsworth’s Geralt isn’t the show’s standout superstar. Yennefer and Ciri get as much screen time as him, with each having independent missions. In season 4, Geralt is finding his way to Nilfgaard to reunite with Ciri and rescue her from Emhyr, unaware that she isn’t even there. She relinquished her magic, adopted the name “Falka” and teamed up with a band of bandits called The Rats. Elsewhere, Yennefer is gathering mages to take down Vilgefortz. Laurence Fishburne’s presence as the mysterious vampire Emiel Regis also allows Geralt to occasionally fade further into the background.
As the bigger star, Cavill deserves plenty of screen time in everything he does. After all, he gets paid plenty of money, and it would be unwise to use him sparingly. This explains why Geralt is everywhere in the first three seasons. Besides that, actors like Cavill demand to be seen as it is good for their image. Their fans also demand it.
Hemsworth isn’t as big a star as Cavill (or his brother, Chris), so he’d be more than happy to regularly share the spotlight. Additionally, giving Geralt lesser screen time in season 4 (or preventing him from dominating each frame) is a smart move, as it shields him from excessive scrutiny. It’s hard to notice all the flaws when you have Emiel and Ciri doing so much cool stuff.
1
Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt Changes Accents a Lot More Often
Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt has about three different accents in the season premiere alone. “It appears Liam Hemsworth asked Prince Harry to do his voice work for Witcher,” one person joked on social media. In comparison, Cavill is consistent, maintaining the same intonation in each of the first three seasons.
To be fair, no one beats British actors in accent variation. Besides that, Cavill has had more experience playing characters in period-themed movies and shows, so he understands all that’s required for an actor to sound like someone who lived centuries ago. The Count of Monte Cristo and The Tudors are some of the notable works where he plays characters (fictional and real) from past eras.
Regarding the vocal delivery, Hemsworth was always going to find himself in a “doomed if you do, doomed if you don’t scenario.” He mainly messes up his accent because he tries to replicate Cavill’s gravelly Geralt voice, something he simply cannot do to perfection. But would the opposite approach have been any better? Likely, Hemsworth might still have faced criticism if he had opted to use his natural modern voice. Let’s hope he did more work with the vocal coach for season 5. Unfortunately, this creates another problem as fans will be asking why Geralt’s accent is so different from what it was in season 4.
- Release Date
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December 20, 2019
- Network
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Netflix
- Showrunner
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Lauren Schmidt Hissrich
- Directors
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Stephen Surjik, Charlotte Brändström, Edward Bazalgette, Loni Peristere, Louise Hooper, Bola Ogun, Alex Garcia Lopez, Gandja Monteiro, Sarah O’Gorman
- Writers
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Haily Hall, Clare Higgins, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Jenny Klein, Tania Lotia
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Anya Chalotra
Yennefer of Vengerberg
