‘The Witcher’ Showrunner Finally Explains Why Henry Cavill Walked Away
Henry Cavill’s departure from The Witcher has finally been addressed by showrunner Lauren Hissrich, three years after the actor left the series.
Fans were surprised when it was announced that season 3 would be Cavill’s last as Geralt of Rivia. Liam Hemsworth has been cast as the new Geralt and is set to debut in season 4 next month.
Hissrich explained the decision in a recent interview, saying, “He had plans for other roles that he really wanted to commit himself to.” This confirms earlier speculation that Cavill left partly because he hoped to return as Superman in the DC Universe.
He did appear briefly in Black Adam but has since been replaced by David Corenswet under the new DC leadership.
According to Hissrich, the talks about Cavill leaving had been ongoing for some time. She said the decision was mutual. “You don’t want to hold someone and force them to be doing something that they don’t want to do. I think that’s why it felt like a really symbiotic decision.”
Cavill has since moved on to other projects. He is developing a Warhammer 40K series for Amazon and is set to star in the new Highlander movie. During filming, he suffered an injury that temporarily paused production.
For Hemsworth, stepping into the role was both exciting and challenging. He described the moment the recasting news broke: “There was quite a bit of noise and I had to put that aside. It started to become a distraction… I just don’t want any of that to affect my way of telling the story that I’m trying to tell.”
Hissrich revealed that Hemsworth was the first actor she spoke to when considering a replacement. Hemsworth is a longtime fan of The Witcher video games and even played The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt several times. “It came out of nowhere,” he admitted about the offer. “I was as surprised as anyone.”
Hemsworth said he connected with Geralt’s protective side and humanity beneath his stoic exterior. He related it to his upbringing, explaining, “We were brought up with this real sense of taking care of people around you. There’s elements of that I felt connected to.”
Hissrich also noted that she and Hemsworth discussed bringing more humor and charm to Geralt while maintaining continuity. “The other really great thing about Liam is he takes this really, really seriously… It was really important to him to have certain things for continuity — and also certain things that he could invent so that his Geralt could stand on his own two feet.”
The Continent awaits. Here’s your exclusive first clip of Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher Season 4. Returns 30th October, only on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/CTvryeUmRd
— The Witcher (@witchernetflix) September 14, 2025
With Cavill moving on and Hemsworth stepping in, The Witcher is entering a new era. Fans will soon see how Hemsworth interprets Geralt while the series continues to evolve.
Cavill’s departure seems like a natural choice for him to explore other roles, and it’s good to hear the transition was handled respectfully. Hemsworth has a tough challenge ahead but seems ready to make the character his own. What do you think, will Liam Hemsworth do justice to Geralt? Share your thoughts in the comments.
