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Liam Hemsworth is stepping into Henry Cavill's shoes as Geralt of Rivia in the eagerly awaited fourth season of Netflix's The Witcher. However, the decision wasn't immediate for the seasoned action star. "I was unsure because it's challenging to take on a lead role midway through a series," Liam Hemsworth admits. "However, as a massive fan of the video game, I felt I could bring something cool to it." The transformation into the monster-hunter required total commitment. Leaving his native Australia and family in Byron Bay behind, Liam moved to the UK to start intensive training. "Physical training started almost immediately in Australia before moving to London three months before we started shooting," he shares. "Then the sword-fight training began, figuring out the nuances of movement and shape. By the time I stepped onto the film set, I felt really good. The sword feels like an extension of my body." Season four continues with Geralt injured and journeying through the Brokilon Forest alongside Milva (Meng'er Zhang) and his bard friend Jaskier (Joey Batey). Geralt is on a quest to find his adopted daughter Ciri (Freya Allan) and ensure her safety. "Ciri is the main driving force in this series for Geralt," Liam reveals. "He believes she is being held captive by Emperor Emhyr var Emreis but he's having horrific dreams about her and fearing the worst." He adds, "Geralt's love as a father has never been stronger and finding her becomes his singular mission." Meanwhile, Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) confronts her own struggles throughout the Continent as she endeavours to rally the mages against Nilfgaard, whilst Emperor Emhyr is also pursuing Ciri. "Yennefer is the love of Geralt's life and they have a pretty wild relationship," says Liam. "Right now, they're on separate paths. They only have one moment when they physically connect. Yennefer gives Geralt the courage to push forward on his mission to find their daughter." Yennefer's path, nevertheless, is driven by sorrow following her mentor's demise. "Losing her was huge, the floor has been ripped from under her feet but at the same time, Yennefer has found something new," Anya says. "She realises her connection to Ciri is unbreakable, she is destined to be a mother and no one can take that away from her." As Yennefer unleashes her wrath upon Vilgefortz (Mahesh Jadu) to rescue Ciri, the bond between her and Geralt transforms into something more profound. "Ciri is the only thing she's fighting for," she says. "They're more united than they have ever been because they have Ciri and they are her parents.They are not thinking about each other in the way they have previously. Their love and connection is the truest and deepest we have seen." Superman star Henry Cavill revealed he was departing The Witcher after three seasons back in 2022, taking to Instagram to announce his choice. "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," the actor penned on social media. Lauren Hissrich, The Witcher's executive producer, then spilled the beans to Entertainment Weekly about what led Henry to hang up his boots, confessing he "personally wanted to end his time as Geralt. "He had plans for other roles that he really wanted to commit himself to," Lauren revealed. "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." The Witcher returns to Netflix on Thursday, October 30th.
