Reviews are crawling in for The Witcher season 4, where Netflix apparently gave out extremely limited or even no review screeners for the show, as I’m only seeing a half dozen or so reviews in, which is unusual for a series like this.
They’re not…great so far, but there are so few in, it’s hard to fully analyze. But what we can do is get an early look at how critics are viewing the big recasting of Geralt after Henry Cavill left The Witcher after season 3, and Liam Hemsworth taking over for him in season 4. Here’s a sampling:
- Slashfilm: “I must emphasize the fact that the new season’s shortcomings have nothing to do with Hemsworth’s portrayal of Geralt, as there are no deliberate attempts to alter or reinvent the character… Hemsworth does a good job of balancing Geralt’s vicious physicality with his ongoing emotional flux, which allows the character to grow and evolve with the narrative.”
- RadioTimes: “It’s incredibly jarring to see and hear Hemsworth as Geralt. Rather than adapting a similarly deep, gravelly tone as Cavill, he questionably decides to channel his brother’s Thor-like accent. While the Aussie actor is competent in the action sequences, his stature and overall take on the monster hunter unfortunately just doesn’t measure up.”
- The Wrap: “Though it was always a tall order for Hemsworth to step into Cavill’s big shoes as the lead of an established ensemble beloved by “the show’s audience, the new Geralt never rises to the occasion. That the season doesn’t do him any favors with a clunky, glorified previously-on reintroduction to the character — exposing how flat he is in comparison to the memorable warrior from past seasons — only makes the going that much tougher.”
- Collider: “While the series’ new Geralt, Liam Hemsworth, had shoes to fill in picking up the torch from Cavill, it’s a challenge that he successfully meets, his performance evolving into something that feels entirely apropos for the version of the character he’s portraying.”
So that’s…not amazing. The gist of it so far is either that Hemsworth does not live up to Cavill, Hemsworth is fine but the show isn’t good, or Hemsworth is fine and the show is better. What I am not seeing is effusive praise for him, nor declarations that he’s outright better than Cavill was. So, fans were mostly correct in predicting that would happen, as Cavill, previously, was always viewed as picture-perfect for the part.
The cast and crew of The Witcher have gushed about Hemsworth, his dedication to his role and his warmth on set. The implication there has always been that Cavill did not possess those qualities, and this is part of a long-running Cold War between those making the show and Cavill, the reports of which span from “he was difficult to work with” to “he was disappointed with how they were departing from the source material.” But replacing him appears to mostly be a net negative, and the show has not greatly benefited from it.
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Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2025/10/30/what-critics-think-about-the-witcher-season-4-hemsworth-cavill-geralt-switch/
