Netflix released the first full trailer for the fourth season of The Witcher earlier this week, and the Tudum interview that accompanied the teaser debut featured a very interesting piece of information that has since been removed from the article.
The third season of Netflix's fantasy adventure series was original Geralt of Rivia actor Henry Cavill's last, as the Man of Steel star announced his decision to part ways with the streamer's adaptation of the best-selling novels back in 2022.
We'd find out that Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games, Lonely Planet) was set to take over as Geralt shortly after, but it seems Netflix may have been planning to replace Cavill in the role a lot earlier than we realized.
Initially, the article stated that Hemsworth’s “journey began with a phone call in 2020” while he was at home in Australia.
“Initially, I was pretty hesitant and unsure,” said the actor. “It’s an odd thing to be asked to come in midway through a series like this and continue on as the lead character. But, as a fan of the video game, I felt like I could do something cool with it.”
The article was later amended to say 2022, but some fans remain convinced that this wasn't simply a typo, as there's always been speculation that there may have been more to Cavill's departure than has been disclosed publically.
For what it's worth, showrunner Lauren Hissrich had the following to say about Cavill leaving the series in a recent interview.
"He had plans for other roles that he really wanted to commit himself to. And for us, 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."
"We never really had serious conversations about the show not continuing," she went on. "The show is bigger than one actor. It’s bigger than me. There’s a book series, there’s a video game. We are the third entry into this. So 'The Witcher' lives whether or not we go."
In The Witcher season 4, Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri find themselves separated by a raging war and countless enemies. As their paths diverge and their goals sharpen, they stumble on unexpected allies eager to join their journeys. And if they can accept these found families, they just might have a chance at reuniting for good.
The cast also includes Anya Chalotra as Yennefer of Vengerberg, Freya Allan as Princess Cirilla of Cintra, Joey Batey as Jaskier, Laurence Fishburne as Regis, Meng’er Zhang as Milva, Sharlto Copley as Leo Bonhart, and James Purefoy as Skellen.
The Witcher season 4 premieres on Netflix on October 30.