5 Big Differences Between Henry Cavill and Liam Hemsworth’s ‘Witcher’

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Henry Cavill seems to have a pattern of leaving projects before they conclude, and it’s often not his fault. He famously played Superman and Geralt of Rivia, but moved on from both roles. When he left The Witcher, fans were concerned, especially considering the big difference in experience and popularity between him and the actor taking over, Liam Hemsworth.

Despite a generally negative reception to season 4, with a 58% score on Rotten Tomatoes – the lowest for the series – the new lead actor, Liam, has received a lot of positive feedback. Many viewers feel he’s a good fit for the role, proving he was the right choice to replace the previous lead.

The decision to recast Henry Cavill came after he announced on Instagram that he would be finishing his role as Geralt after season 3. According to the show’s creator, Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, Cavill decided to pursue other acting opportunities. Instead of ending the series, the team decided to find a new actor for the part.

Here are five key differences between how Henry Cavill and Chris Hemsworth portrayed Geralt of Rivia.

5
Henry Cavill’s Geralt Is Angrier and More Detached


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Henry Cavill’s portrayal of Geralt felt tense and guarded, like someone constantly expecting something bad to happen – as if he’d been wronged in a small but irritating way. Chris Hemsworth’s Geralt, on the other hand, is much more relaxed and friendly.

Henry Cavill’s portrayal of Geralt immediately grips viewers, creating a sense of both fear and excitement. This reaction is understandable, given the character’s difficult past and constant struggles. Abandoned as a child in the mountains of Kaedwen, Geralt has always had to fight for survival, and when we first encounter him, the physical and emotional wounds of his life are clearly visible.

Chris Hemsworth’s portrayal of Geralt feels more approachable and less brooding than the character in the books and games. This is partly because Hemsworth seems to be softening some of Geralt’s harsher, stranger qualities, opting for a more relatable and grounded personality. Surprisingly, this approach is effective.

4
Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt Is a Better Fighter


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The first episode of The Witcher began strongly with a fight between Henry Cavill‘s Geralt and a kikimora in the year 1231. While the show continued to feature action throughout its three seasons, these sequences were frequently short to allow for more focus on dramatic storylines. Notably, the action scenes featuring Liam Hemsworth as Geralt are much longer and more skillfully done, making his version of the character seem like a more capable and committed fighter.

It’s clear why the show took a different direction with Henry Cavill involved. The Witcher was initially expected to be the next big fantasy hit like Game of Thrones, so the creators – and likely Cavill himself – prioritized showing depth in the characters over big action sequences. This version of Geralt was meant to come across as thoughtful and caring, not just strong and intimidating.

When Chris Hemsworth took on the role, everyone wanted to see he could match Henry Cavill’s intensity, and the action scenes were the perfect way to show that. Honestly, the battles in season 4 were incredible – so creative and visually stunning. Everything felt dynamic and exciting, especially that amazing showdown in the finale. I, for one, am hoping we get to see even more action like that in the future!

3
Henry Cavill’s Geralt Is More Physically Imposing


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Look, I was always a little worried about Liam Hemsworth stepping into Henry Cavill’s shoes. Cavill really brought the physicality to Geralt, and it’s tough to match that. Hemsworth is actually taller, which is cool, but he just doesn’t have the same bulk. Everyone talked about Cavill’s intense workouts, and you could see the results. Honestly, Hemsworth’s Geralt just looks… more like a regular guy, you know? It’s not a bad thing, but it’s definitely a different vibe.

While talent is key, movies like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Conan and Dolph Lundgren’s He-Man created a trend where fantasy heroes were expected to be incredibly muscular. Dwayne Johnson’s Hercules and similar films continued this, leading audiences to now associate a powerful physique with monster-fighting heroes.

Forbes reports that season 5 has already finished filming, so it wouldn’t make sense for Chris Hemsworth to try and get bigger to look like other action stars. However, it’s something he could easily do if he wanted to. We’ve seen this happen with actors like Alan Ritchson in Reacher – he got noticeably more muscular between seasons 1 and 3, and the effect was really positive.

2
Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt Shares the Glory


Netflix

Henry Cavill’s portrayal of Geralt largely led the story, but in the upcoming season, Chris Hemsworth’s Geralt isn’t the sole focus. Yennefer and Ciri will have equally important storylines, each pursuing their own goals. Geralt will head to Nilfgaard hoping to find and save Ciri from Emhyr, but he doesn’t know she’s already left and is living under a new name, Falka, with a group of bandits called The Rats. Meanwhile, Yennefer will be working to assemble a team of mages to defeat Vilgefortz. With Laurence Fishburne joining the cast as the enigmatic vampire Emiel Regis, Geralt will sometimes take an even more supporting role.

Henry Cavill is a major star, so it makes sense he’s featured prominently in everything he appears in. Given his salary, it wouldn’t be smart to underutilize him – that’s why his character, Geralt, is so central to the first three seasons of the show. Plus, actors of his stature expect significant screen time to maintain their public image, and their fans expect to see them often as well.

Liam Hemsworth isn’t as established a celebrity as Henry Cavill or his brother Chris, so he’d likely be comfortable sharing screen time with other actors. Furthermore, reducing Geralt’s prominence in season four – or avoiding having him in every scene – is a good strategy. It helps protect him from harsh criticism, because viewers will be more focused on the exciting things Emiel and Ciri are doing.

1
Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt Changes Accents a Lot More Often


Netflix

Fans have noticed Liam Hemsworth’s portrayal of Geralt in the new season features several different accents, with one joking he seemed to be getting voice help from Prince Harry. This contrasts with Henry Cavill, who consistently used the same tone and accent throughout his three seasons playing the character.

It’s hard to compete with British actors when it comes to doing different accents. Plus, Henry Cavill has a lot of experience in historical dramas, which means he really knows how to convincingly portray characters from the past. He’s shown this ability in popular shows like The Count of Monte Cristo and The Tudors, where he’s played both fictional and real people from earlier times.

Hemsworth faced a tough challenge with his voice acting – he was likely to be criticized no matter what he did. He struggled with the accent because he attempted to match Henry Cavill’s distinctive, rough voice, but couldn’t quite pull it off. However, using his own natural voice probably wouldn’t have satisfied viewers either. Hopefully, he’ll have more coaching for season 5, though this might then lead to complaints about the inconsistency of Geralt’s accent compared to the previous season.

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2025-11-28 01:19