The Witcher Season 4 is finally here on Netflix, and with it, we’ve also finally gotten to meet the new Geralt of Rivia, played by Liam Hemsworth. There’s a lot of pressure on the Hunger Games star as he’s not only stepping in for the fourth season, but he’s replacing actor Henry Cavill – a man who has consistently been the focus of passionate fan campaigns thanks to his role as Superman in the late DCEU (DC Extended Universe). With that in mind, let’s do the most journalistically responsible thing and decide who is better as Geralt: Henry Cavill or Liam Hemsworth?
To be clear, every actor is different in a role. The circumstances around this casting switch have been both heavily reported and shrouded in secrecy, something that could impact how you view the different performances. And overall, it’s unfair to compare two people to each other when it’s clear they’re both working long hours and extremely hard at their jobs.
…But whatever, let’s do it anyway. We’ll break down Cavill versus Hemsworth in a number of categories, and then declare an overall winner of the Witcher Wars. In short, which Witcher wore it best?
Oh, and spoilers for The Witcher Season 4 past this point.
Armor wars
First and foremost, let’s talk about how they both look. And to be clear, we’re aware that both Cavill and Hemsworth are objectively handsome men, while we have the abs of a wet toad flopping on a log, so don’t have too much of a leg to stand on here.
Still, even after eight episodes of Season 4, the reaction to the season 4 trailer stands… Hemsworth looks like the Spirit Halloween version of Geralt. A lot of that comes down to the difference in body types between Cavill and Hemsworth, and while – again – Hemsworth is clearly ripped to the gills, the costume fits loosely on the 6’3” actor in a way it did not on the slightly shorter at 6’1” Cavill. The latter is broader and more thickly muscular, built like a superhero; Hemsworth, unlike his brother, Thor the God of Thunder, is not. Cavill always seemed ready to bust out of his leather pants at any moment (and sometimes did), while Hemsworth probably needed another costume fitting or two.
Oh, and then there’s the wig. Look, nobody is going to look normal in Geralt’s flowing silver locks. But Cavill made it work, while Hemsworth consistently looks like he’s about to have his wig fly off at any moment. Not his fault! But while Hemsworth would have gotten a slew of likes on Instagram if he revealed this Geralt as his Halloween costume, Cavill is a monster-hunting beefcake.
Winner: Cavill
Geralt Has A Great… Personality?
Another aspect of Geralt that is vitally important is his personality, and Cavill and Hemsworth approach it as two different people entirely. Part of that is the development of Geralt as a character: in Season 4, he’s not just badly injured, but also opening up more to his group, his hansa. This comes after spending time with Ciri (Freya Allan), his adoptive daughter, and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), his wife in all but name. But it’s also this little thing called “character progression.”
So while Cavill’s Geralt was always removed from the situation and would rather be anywhere else, talking to nobody, Hemsworth’s Geralt is slowly coming around to the idea that he needs people. He’s not a chatterbox by any means, but he does have conversations where he seeks to understand another point of view, and even smiles every now and then.
As a viewer of television, as much as Cavill embodied the trope of the lone wolf who is opened up by his bond with a younger ward, it’s much less interesting to watch a character not “nope” his way out of scenes than it is to see him engage in them. It’s hard to think that the often aloof Cavill could have brought that to the show… Hemsworth does in spades.
Winner: Hemsworth
Oh F**k
That said, there’s one other personality thing Geralt has going for him: his ability to say “fuck.” And frankly? Hemsworth cannot match Cavill in this department. Cavill’s expletives were perfectly growled punctuations to scenes, and Hemsworth’s delivery – see above – is just softer and more human. Cavill, meanwhile, imbued his “fucks” with everything you needed to know, and often they were the funniest parts of an episode.
Winner: Cavill
Man of action
The Witcher, at its heart, is an action show. Both Cavill and Hemsworth have starred in action franchises, so you’d think they would be on even footing when it comes to Geralt’s epic monster sword-fights… And you’d be right. While Cavill is a little more visceral with his action persona – see him “reloading his arms” in Mission: Impossible – Hemsworth is an old hand at this stuff as well.
The only thing holding Hemsworth back is that, as mentioned above, Geralt is grievously injured for most of the season, so we don’t quite get the acrobatics we expect from Geralt… Those are mostly saved for Ciri, who is proving herself as a member of the rogue thieves, The Rats, and gets some classic one-take kick-butt sequences.
But that aside, both Cavill and Hemsworth are good at this, and the show doesn’t really miss a beat in this department… Something they establish right at the top, thanks to a montage reshooting some of the more famous monster battles from the first three seasons with Hemsworth.
Winner: Tie
Chemistry lessons
Most of the season is spent with our three leads on three different tracks – so specifically when it comes to seeing Geralt and Ciri, there’s barely any of that here. There’s a little more with Yennefer… And in particular, there’s a late in the season reunion that includes the only sex scene The Witcher has on tap this season. And boy, the chemistry is just not there between the two of them.
Part of it may be that it feels like watching Mommy cheat on Daddy with his little brother. But while Chalotra gives every scene her all, like she always does, you just don’t see that hunger, that bond that she had with Cavill (at least on screen). The sex is late-night cable perfunctory, the dialogue between the two more like co-workers than star-crossed lovers… While it’s necessary to see the two together again for plot purposes, the scene in question seems shoved in to address “Hey, why aren’t Geralt and Yennefer hanging out” rather than pleasing any sort of romantic needs.
Again, nothing against the actors, who do their best. But there are no sparks between Hemsworth and Chalotra.
Winner: Cavill
Overall winner
So, who wins the Witcher Wars? This is actually a trickier question to answer than the breakdown above captures. On the surface, Cavill is the clear winner. He’s iconic in the role, he kicked it off, and he so embodied his version of Geralt that it often felt like Cavill was the White Wolf himself.
But complicating things is that Hemsworth is better as Geralt for the direction and creative realignment of Season 4, as well as for the overall life of the show. Season 4 is a better season of TV with a more fleshed-out ensemble, which Hemsworth’s Geralt is part of; while Cavill’s three seasons were often a confusing mess that was elevated by his performance and some cool monster-fighting scenes. Cavill is a better Geralt, but Hemsworth is a good Geralt in a better show.
Short version? We’ll give it to Cavill. But Spirit Halloween Geralt or not, Hemsworth has injected the show with new life going forward, and we’re happy to follow him into the final season of the series. Here’s hoping he properly figures out how to say “fuck.”
The Witcher season 4 is streaming now on Netflix. For more, check out our guide to The Witcher season 4 ending explained and our look ahead to The Witcher season 5.
