Liam Hemsworth finally addresses The Witcher backlash: ‘I had to put the noise aside’

Liam Hemsworth has finally spoken out about the backlash he faced after it was announced that he would be replacing Henry Cavill as the lead star of The Witcher.

In October 2022, it was announced that the Hunger Games actor would be taking over the role of Geralt of Rivia – the brooding, growling, but secretly good-natured monster-hunter in Netflix’s epic fantasy drama.

Superman star Henry had played the role since 2019, and many fans felt as though no one could possibly fill his shoes after his departure. ‘This role was meant for you – Geralt will never be the same without you,’ one lamented at the time.

While some people were respectful towards Liam, others were downright nasty about the prospect of him playing Geralt, despite not even giving him a chance to prove himself. Three years later, he’s addressing the ‘distracting’ mass of attention that he received at the time.

‘There was quite a bit of noise and I had to put that aside. It started to become a distraction,’ Liam, 35, told Entertainment Weekly about the moment when the news of his casting was announced.

‘I dealt with that sort of thing in the past a lot and, you know, at the end of the day, I love making movies and I love telling stories and acting. I just don’t want any of that to affect my way of telling the story that I’m trying to tell. I jumped off social media and the internet most of last year.’

Liam Hemsworth said that he was ‘over the moon’ to take on the mantle of playing Geralt in The Witcher (Picture: Netflix/Susie Allnutt) Many fans felt as though no one could embody the monster-hunter like Henry Cavill (Picture: Netflix/Kevin Baker)

When Henry, 42, shared the news of his departure in 2022, he wrote in a statement posted on Instagram: ‘Some news to share from The Continent…

‘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. In my stead, the fantastic Mr Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf.

‘As with the greatest of literary characters, 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.

‘Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find.’

Freya Allan and Anya Chalotra will return in season four as Ciri and Yennefer (Picture: Netflix) Joey Batey is also returning as Jaskier the bard (Picture: Netflix)

In response, Liam wrote in his own post: ‘As a Witcher fan I’m over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia. Henry Cavill has been an incredible Geralt, and I’m honoured 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.

‘Henry, I’ve been a fan of yours for years and was inspired by what you brought to this beloved character. I may have some big boots to fill, but I’m truly excited to be stepping into The Witcher world. @henrycavill @witchernetflix.’

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly in the new group interview, The Witcher showrunner Lauren Hissrich said that talks about Henry leaving the drama had been going on ‘for a while’ before Liam was confirmed as his replacement.

‘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,’ she said.

The Witcher season 4 premieres on October 30 on Netflix.

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