It’s been a long time coming but fans finally got their first look at Netflix‘s new Geralt of Rivia, The Witcher played by Liam Hemsworth.
On May 23, Netflix dropped a teaser reel showing Hemsworth in character. The video starts with Hemsworth walking through an eerie, foggy swampland in full costume. However, we only get a frontal shot of his silhouette before it cuts to a close-up of his back.
Hearing noises behind him, he pauses as an unseen creature exhales on him. With his white locks fluttering, Hemsworth turns to look at the camera and we get a decent view of him as the White Wolf.
To say that Netflix had a Herculean task with this reveal is an understatement. The role was previously filled by Henry Cavill who, aside from being a huge fan of The Witcher franchise and advocated for a closer depiction of Geralt from the books, has truly made it his own.
In fact, when it was announced that Hemsworth was taking over the role, fans were sceptical if he could truly embody it the way Cavill did – the difference in physique didn’t help matters either. Thankfully, the Internet has been rather kind today. The reveal was met with lukewarm interest as netizens felt Hemsworth looked the part, alleviating some concerns they had since the announcement of his casting.
To the credit of the makeup and costume department, the look of Geralt has been meticulously recreated and at least, based on looks, Hemsworth has crossed a hurdle. However, the next challenge is whether his mannerisms manage to charm the non-believers and/or those who are waiting to see where the chips fall. Cavill’s portrayal of Geralt as a gruff but gentle (when he wants to) monster slayer has made many swoon, especially with his intense and piercing gaze coupled with his signature grunts.
As one comment on Instagram asked, will Hemsworth have his signature grunt?
Not Entirely Convinced…
The casting of Hemsworth has been surrounded by much controversy, scepticism, and to some extent, outrage from the more rabid passionate fans. It’s something that his co-star, Freya Allan (Ciri), has observed in an interview with Collider earlier this month. She said, “I feel sorry for him, honestly, because, number one, that fan base can be very attack-y, and it’s not an ideal situation to be in taking up someone else’s role.”
The actress also shared that Hemsworth has been training and he really wants “to try and bring the heart”.
“I just hope that people give him the time of day, you know?” she added.
So, it is heartening to see level-headed people on the Internet today imploring others to give Hemsworth a chance. It is, after all, the least he is entitled to. And we are not here spewing platitudes, because frankly, the teaser reel hasn’t entirely convinced us that Hemsworth has what it takes (yet).
For Hemsworth, it feels like something is missing in that glare of his – a little intensity, perhaps? Or some ferocity? Geralt looks a little tame now, whereas Cavill has really expressive eyes, especially when he was in a mood.
The Witcher Blame Game
And while the naysayers do exist – #notmywitcher – it would be prudent to also point out that perhaps, the anger towards Hemsworth is misplaced when it comes to The Witcher recasting.
After all, the prevailing speculation for Cavill’s departure is his dissatisfaction with the deviation from the source material, which has nothing to do with the actor. Cavill had been outspoken about remaining loyal to the books and games, telling The Hollywood Reporter that he was on board for a seven-season series “as long as we can keep telling great stories which honour [author Andrzej] Sapkowski’s work”.
When promoting Season 2, he told Philstar he pushed for a more book-accurate Geralt and said “all of my asks and requests were along the lines of just being faithful to the source material”. Beau DeMayo, creator of X-Men ’97 and former producer and writer for The Witcher, also went on Instagram back then and claimed that “some of the writers were not [fans] or actively disliked the books and games (even actively mocking the source material)”.
It’s an open secret that the series has deviated a great deal from the books, with Season 2 introducing a whole new villain that didn’t exist in the novels. Of course, with neither Cavill nor the creative team for The Witcher verifying anything, the truth behind Cavill’s departure remains unknown. Yet, one thing is certain – it’s not Hemsworth’s fault nor is he involved in it.
We will be giving Hemsworth’s portrayal a chance, and if nothing else, at least there will be a shirtless scene or two.
