Summary

• Netflix announces The Witcher season 4 production has begun with Liam Hemsworth stepping into the role of Geralt.
• The streaming platform has also renewed the show for season 5, which will be the final season.
• This announcement could potentially be damaging to a show that is already on shaky ground after Henry Cavill's departure.

As The Witcher season 4 kicks off production, Netflix announces when the fantasy show will end. The show, which is adapted from the series of Polish novels of the same name by Andrzej Sapkowski, follows the titular witcher Geralt of Rivia on a variety of adventures as he becomes the protector for Crown Princess Cirilla of Cintra (Freya Allan). Although Geralt was played by Henry Cavill in the first three seasons, the season 4 will feature The Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth taking over the lead role.

On their official Twitter , The Witcher season 4 has kicked off production, with season 5 being renewed as the show's final season. See their announcement below:

The news was shared along with a video teasing the cast and crew going "back to The Continent," with clips from a table read that include the returning cast welcoming Hemsworth among their ranks. Their announcement of the season 5 renewal says that the episodes will "bring this epic series to a fitting conclusion."

Was Announcing The End Of The Witcher A Good Idea?

The Witcher Season 4 Still Needs To Build Up Steam

Netflix's fantasy show coming to an end doesn't necessarily come as a surprise. The streaming platform frequently ends their shows before they get past five seasons, and indeed, one of their most enduringly popular flagship series, Stranger Things, is also ending with season 5. Additionally, while there are seven main Witcher books in the Sapkowski series, there is nevertheless a limited amount of source material to adapt. However, the timing of the announcement that season 5 will be ending the main branch of the fantasy franchise might not be perfect as the show is currently on very shaky ground.

The news that Cavill was leaving the show came at a time when it seemed that he would be returning to the DC Universe to reprise his role as Superman. It was quickly announced afterward that there were no plans to move forward with his version of the superhero, although he was teased in the end credits of 2022's Black Adam. Despite this reversal, Hemsworth retained the role of Geralt, which provoked a divided reaction on social media, though it was never clear if Cavill was leaving the Netflix show for the DC property in the first place.

James Gunn's Superman, which is set to premiere in 2025, will star David Corenswet in the title role.

In addition to this Witcher cast shakeup, its most recent spinoff - the prequel Blood Origin - was poorly received, earning 28% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 13% from audiences. With the future of the show seeming so unclear and potentially rife with issues, announcing that it is ending may be the worst thing for it. Instead of allowing viewers time to familiarize themselves with Hemsworth's version of Geralt and get excited for his future exploits, the impending finale of the show may encourage those who are on the fence not to bother with season 4 at all.

Source: Netflix/Twitter