Summary
- Liam Hemsworth takes over as Geralt in The Witcher season 4, recreating key scenes from Henry Cavill’s run.
- Set photos confirm Hemsworth on a beach fighting against Vikgefortz, hinting at a recreation of the duel from The Witcher season 3.
- The transition between the actors blurs with Hemsworth recreating crucial moments from Cavill’s final scenes.
The Witcher season 4’s set photos seem to prove that some of Henry Cavill’s Geralt scenes will be recreated with Liam Hemsworth. Beginning with season 4, The Witcher‘s cast of characters will undergo a significant change. The new season of the show will be the first in which Hemsworth with play Geralt of Rivia, taking over from Henry Cavill who portrayed the character up until The Witcher season 3’s climactic ending.
Cavill’s exit as Geralt from The Witcher caused a great deal of controversy and speculation. While it was not confirmed why the actor left the role, many assumed it was due to his reverence of the source material, something the creatives at Netflix did not seem to share. Regardless of the reasoning, Cavill’s departure means Hemsworth will take on the role of Geralt in The Witcher season 4’s story. Recently, set photos offered audiences the first look at Hemsworth’s Geralt, with the images implying some of Cavill’s scenes from The Witcher season 3 are being recreated.
The Witcher Season 4 Set Photos Show Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt Recreating The Vilgefortz Fight
A Climactic Battle Between Geralt & Vilgefortz Is Being Recreated With Hemsworth
The Witcher season 4’s set photos in question show Hemsworth as Geralt on a beach. Hemsworth is wearing black clothing, a blonde wig, a wolf medallion, and a silver sword, all of which were donned by Cavill in The Witcher season 3, episode 6’s climactic duel with VIlgefortz. Combined with the beach location of the set photos, it becomes clear that The Witcher season 4 will recreate this battle, as further evidenced by Mahesh Judu – Vilgefortz’s actor – being present on set.
One of the set photos shows Hemsworth’s Geralt fighting against Vilgefortz, while another shows the titular monster hunter of The Witcher being thrown back onto a crash mat. While Hemsworth’s stunt double Joel Adrian is performing the stunts, the intent of the production from a storytelling standpoint is clear. With Cavill now gone, the more climactic moments from Geralt’s journey in The Witcher season 3 are being recreated by Hemsworth.
The set photos from
The Witcher
season 4 can be viewed via
Metro
.
What Happened During The Geralt Vs. Vilgefortz Fight In The Witcher
Geralt & Vilgefortz’s Fight Was Vital To The Second Half Of The Witcher Season 3
In The Witcher season 3, part 1’s ending, Geralt and Yennefer discover that Vilgefortz is behind the repeated kidnapping attempts of Ciri due to the mage’s alliance with Emperor Emhyr. At the end of The Witcher season 3, episode 6, Vilgefortz corners Geralt and Ciri as they flee Aretuza. Geralt encourages Ciri to flee before facing Vilgefortz alone. The duel rages through a beach cave and out onto the shoreline, with Geralt slowly being worn down by Vilgefortz’s superior skill in combat and magic.
Eventually, Geralt cannot stop Vilgefortz’s advantage any longer. Vilgefortz repeatedly pushes Geralt back, wounding him in several places with his magical staff. At the end of the fight, Vilgefortz destroys Geralt’s sword and leaves the Witcher within an inch of his life. Geralt is eventually found by Triss Merigold and taken to a haven in the forest of Brokilon to be healed. This fight sidelined Geralt for much of The Witcher season 3’s latter two episodes as the monster hunter needed to recover from the severe beating he faced at the hands of Vilgefortz.
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Why The Witcher Season 4 Could Be Recreating Henry Cavill Scenes
The Transition Between Hemsworth & Cavill Is Being Blurred By Netflix
With the context of the fight in The Witcher‘s story in mind, the question of why Hemsworth is recreating some of Cavill’s scenes is raised. Perhaps the strongest explanation as to why this is the case is simply to make the switch between Cavill and Hemsworth less jarring. If The Witcher season 4 recreates the more climactic scenes of Geralt’s story from The Witcher season 3 with Hemsworth, the scenes that pick back up with the monster hunter in the present will make the switch less noticeable.
The scenes being recreated with Hemsworth serve as an effective story recap, all while blurring the lines between Cavill’s exit and Hemsworth’s entrance as Geralt.
Not only that, but it will aid audience members who cannot remember the more vital elements of The Witcher season 3. The scenes being recreated with Hemsworth serve as an effective story recap, all while blurring the lines between Cavill’s exit and Hemsworth’s entrance as Geralt. As such, it stands to reason that other scenes from the latter half of The Witcher season 3 are recreated with Hemsworth in the role. Given that much of Geralt’s story involved his recovery, this would not be overly difficult for The Witcher season 4’s production, all while making the switch in actor less noticeable.