[OPINION] “Your [producers] were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” I bet you’re probably wondering why I’m paraphrasing Dr. Ian Malcolm from Jurassic Park, substituting “producers” for “scientists.” Well, if you look at the calendar and see what Netflix released today, you’ll likely understand rather quickly. Yes, The Witcher Season 4 is upon us. Liam Hemsworth now takes on the role of Geralt of Rivea, and, well…. See the quotation above.
After watching what I have of the new season, I want to make something clear – I do not fault Laim Hemsworth for what I fully anticipate will be the lowest-rated season of the series. (If I’m wrong, good for him and for Netflix). The studio has placed Hemsworth in an unenviable, impossible position by having him step into the Witcher role that Henry Cavill played so iconically before him. The fault lies not with the Hunger Games star, but with producers who looked the gift horse that was Henry Cavill in the mouth and said “nah.”
The Witcher recast: no fault of Liam Hemsworth
Henry Cavill’s love and knowledge of the original source material for the series is well documented. It became clear early on that he didn’t see eye to eye with the producers with respect to the direction his character, and the story, would take. In many ways, he telegraphed his eventual departure from The Witcher back around the time of Season 2 when he said this of the show’s writing:
“The toughest part for me was finding that balance between the showrunners’ vision and my love for the books, and trying to bring that Geralt to the showrunners’ vision. It’s about treading a fine line there. It’s the showrunners’ story and so it’s an adaptation. The tricky bit for me was finding Geralt from the books’ place within that and being able to serve both as much as I could.” (Source: pihlstar.com)
Fast forward to Season 4 of The Witcher. While the studio claims Cavill’s split from the series was due to his desire to spend more time on other projects (Highlander?), the writing for Cavill’s departure based on “creative differences” was on the wall. Now Liam Hemsworth must carry the burden of bridging the gap between the deeply established character Cavill gave us and making the character his own. Thus far, the recasting hasn’t exactly been smooth.
Big, brooding shoes to fill
The actors’ physicality is different. Their mannerisms are different. Their voices are distinctly different. And their delivery is very, very different. Google “Geralt saying f*ck” and you’ll get tons of memes with Henry Cavill dryly delivering that singular piece of dialogue with brooding perfection every time. Hearing Hemsworth’s Witcher scream “Let’s f*cking do this,” on the other hand, just doesn’t invoke the same response. It’s Hemsworth’s character now, of that there’s no question. The query remains whether or not fans will fully embrace it.
The new season is just upon us, so maybe it’s too early to call it. Perhaps Hemsworth will find his following, and honestly I hope he does. He deserves it. Unfortunately, he has some exceptionally large shoes to fill. Put it this way – there’s a reason there’s been no reboot of the Indiana Jones character. Harrison Ford simply is Indy, and we can’t imagine anyone else ever portraying that character. Many feel the same way about Cavill’s Witcher, including this writer. While I wish Liam Hemsworth success, alas, his Geralt just isn’t for me.
That Hashtag Show
