The Witcher Season 4 faced largely negative reviews when it premiered on Netflix last year. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has a "Rotten" 59% from critics and a dismal 19% on the fan-generated Popcornmeter.
While much of the backlash was aimed at Henry Cavill's replacement as Geralt of Rivia, Liam Hemsworth, the series itself was deeply flawed, and it's become clear that The Witcher—once billed as a possible Game of Thrones-beater—is running out of steam.
The upcoming fifth season will also be its last, but as it was shot back-to-back with Season 4, there's only going to be so much that Netflix can do to ensure the adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski's beloved novels ends on a high note.
Today, we have some exciting casting news from Redanian Intelligence. For starters, the site has learned that Paul Bullion will reprise his role as the red-haired witcher Lambert, while Zates Atour's Coen is also now confirmed for a comeback.
They both appeared in Season 4, of course, but only Coen's return seemed like a sure thing given how the story played out. The Witcher fans should welcome Lambert's return, and both characters will likely be part of the Battle of Brenna. The site also recently confirmed that Shani (Emily-Jo Young) and Yarpen Zigrin (Jeremy Crawford) are back for Season 5.
The biggest surprise is the fact that Joseph Payne is returning as Jarre. Also part of the Battle of Brenna on the page, he was last seen in The Witcher Season 2 in 2021, making a one-off appearance in the sixth episode, "Dear Friend..." That's quite a throwback for longtime viewers.
Netflix recently released a synopsis for The Witcher Season 5, revealing, "The time of the end is nigh: dark forces are aligning all across the Continent with villainous designs on Ciri. Even if Geralt and Yennefer can save their daughter and fulfill their last wish of reuniting as a family, they'll have to face obstacles — and enemies — the likes of which they've never faced before."
Alongside Hemsworth, confirmed cast members for the final season include Anya Chalotra (Yennefer of Vengerberg), Freya Allan (Princess Cirilla of Cintra), Joey Batey (Jaskier), and Laurence Fishburne (Regis).
The Witcher Season 5 will see Lauren Schmidt Hissrich return as showrunner. Executive producers include Steve Gaub, Mike Ostrowski, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Platige Films (Tomek Baginski and Jarek Sawko), and Hivemind Content (Jason Brown and Sean Daniel).
While we don't have a confirmed premiere date, The Witcher's fifth and final season is officially heading to Netflix later this year.