Summary

• Liam Hemsworth's casting as Geralt faces an uphill battle with loyal fans of Henry Cavill's iconic portrayal in The Witcher.
• Hemsworth's new co-star Freya Allan defends the actor, insisting he's putting in real work and hoping viewers give him a chance.
• Despite the initial resistance from some viewers, Hemsworth's co-stars him as he takes on the challenge.

Henry Cavill originated the role of Geralt and was a large part of why the show succeeded, leading to an outcry when news broke that Geralt was being recast.

In an interview with Collider, Allan addressed some of the backlash that Hemsworth received for his debut in The Witcher season 4. Allan revealed she feels sorry for Hemsworth, given that she believes he is truly trying to embody the role of Geralt through training and tackling the role with "heart." She acknowledged that the show's fanbase can be "attack-y" and that the whole recasting situation isn't quite ideal. Check out her statement below:

I don’t want to speak for him, but from what I’ve understood, I feel like he’s really wanting to try and bring the heart. He’s been training. 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. But I’m really excited to see what he does. And he’s such a lovely guy. I just hope that people give him the time of day, you know?

Will Liam Hemsworth Ever Win Over The Witcher Fans?

Hemsworth Might Be Facing An Uphill Battle

Some of the disappointment over The Witcher's recasting is understandable. Cavill was phenomenal as Geralt, with many describing his role in the series as the perfect casting. Few can parallel his display of ferocity and brute strength as the monster hunter. Another difficult aspect to replicate is his dedication, as Cavill was a fan of the franchise before nabbing the role of Geralt and insisted on doing all of his own stunts. However, many have chosen to take out their frustrations on Hemsworth, which isn't very reasonable.

Hemsworth's replacement of Cavill in The Witcher stirred many strong reactions online. The show's producers did little to help by insinuating Hemsworth's Geralt would be a rebooted version (similar to how a new James Bond arrives every few years) instead of the original Geralt. Many are ignoring the fact that Cavill voluntarily left the show, and Hemsworth actually did viewers a favor by stepping into the role and allowing The Witcher to receive an adequate ending instead of cancelation. While everyone has questions about whether he can live up to expectations, many viewers aren't even giving him a chance.

The backlash is especially odd as Hemsworth's Witcher co-stars, from Allan to Joey Batey to Cavill himself, have all thrown their behind the actor. Based on their statements, it sounds as if he is taking the job seriously and wants to prove he earned the role. Given his previous experience, he does hold a lot of potential as Geralt. However, the lingering backlash well over a year after The Witcher's recasting announcement raises concerns about whether Hemsworth excelling in the role would even be enough to win over viewers who remain closed off to his arrival.

The Witcher season 4 is in production now.

Liam Hemsworth Needs To Prove Himself As A Leading Man

Hemsworth Does Not Have As Deep Of A Filmography As Cavill

Besides being a fan of the The Witcher franchise, Cavill benefitted from already having an established reputation prior to The Witcher. Making his Superman debut in Man of Steel in 2013, Cavill has long-established himself as an action hero. He also acted in action films such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and costume drama epics such as the TV series The Tudors prior to his debut in The Witcher. Thus, fans were more optimistic with Cavill from the get-go, as they had existing faith in him as a leading man.

Compared with Cavill, Hemsworth's career awarded him fewer opportunities to show his ability to carry an epic such as The Witcher. He was a major player in The Hunger Games trilogy, but he was not the lead, thus having fewer opportunities to chew some scenery. He played the main character in Independence Day: Resurgence, but that film was poorly received and did not give Hemsworth the best of chances to fully show off his acting chops.

In one way, this works against Hemsworth, as audiences do not have the same kind of established confidence in his filmography as they did for Cavill. On the other hand, however, it means that Hemsworth could be a pleasant surprise to audiences. Besides the comparison to Cavill, audiences do not have a particularly justified reason for thinking that Hemsworth will not be good in the role, so he may very well flourish, and pleasantly surprise fans as he steps into his leading man role.

How Will The Hemsworth Backlash Affect The Witcher Season 4’s Reception?

The Witcher Seasons Have Already Been Getting Worse & Worse Reviews

Though Hemsworth could be a pleasant surprise, the actor also faces a tough fight in that he has to overcome the already dwindling positive reception for The Witcher. The series faced a major fallout in audience perception from season 1 to season 3. On Rotten Tomatoes, season 1 got a nearly universally positive 89% audience approval rating. By season 3, that approval had dropped to 19%.

The Witcher season 3’s review bombing s what Allan is saying about the vitriolic — or “attack-y” — nature of The Witcher’s fan base. Hemsworth has the challenge not only of overcoming these attacks on his casting, but also winning over an audience that is already disillusioned by the series. This will create a massive hurdle for the actor in The Witcher season 4, but hopefully the co-star approval bodes well for Hemsworth’s actual performance.

Source: Collider