Henry Cavill will not play Geralt in The Witcher Season 4

witcher netflix series roach
(Image credit: Netflix)

Netflix's The Witcher series will return for a fourth series – without Henry Cavill. In a statement, Netflix confirmed that "while The Witcher Season 3 hasn't debuted yet, it has already been renewed for a fourth season." However, in that fourth season, Liam Hemsworth – not Henry Cavill – will step in as Geralt of Rivia.

Cavill said that "my journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4," and that "I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam's take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men."

It's not clear why Cavill is stepping away from the role. The actor was vocal about how keen he was to play Geralt before taking the role and previously said that he hoped to play the character for the seven seasons that showrunner Lauren Hissrich wants to make. Cavill recently announced his return as Clark Kent/Superman following the Black Adam post-credits scene. He also continues to play Sherlock Holmes in the Netflix movies based on Enola Holmes.

Hemsworth – brother of Thor actor Chris – is best known for his roles in The Hunger Games series and previously led the blockbuster Independence Day: Resurgence. "As a Witcher fan I’m over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia," he said of the casting. "Henry Cavill has been an incredible Geralt, and I’m honored that he’s handing me the reins and allowing me to take up the White Wolf’s blades for the next chapter of his adventure."

The Witcher Season 3 won't debut on Netflix until Summer 2023, so season four could easily be nearly two years away. That means we won't see Hemsworth for some time. There's no word on any other casting for the future series. For something to watch in the meantime, check out our guides to the best Netflix shows and best Netflix movies available now.

Ali Jones
News Editor

I'm GamesRadar's news editor, working with the team to deliver breaking news from across the industry. I started my journalistic career while getting my degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick, where I also worked as Games Editor on the student newspaper, The Boar. Since then, I've run the news sections at PCGamesN and Kotaku UK, and also regularly contributed to PC Gamer. As you might be able to tell, PC is my platform of choice, so you can regularly find me playing League of Legends or Steam's latest indie hit.