How Liam Hemsworth Tweaked Geralt's Fighting Style With The Witcher Season 4

Netflix's "The Witcher" has soldiered on despite Henry Cavill's exit from the series, with a new star taking his place. Liam Hemsworth has taken over as monster hunter Geralt of Rivia for the show's fourth season, and according to the crew, he wasted no time trying to add his own flair to the character.

In an interview with Tudum, Hemsworth recalled his interpretation of a particular scene from season 4, episode 4, "A Sermon of Survival." In the scene, Geralt is given a vampiric potion by the vampire Emiel Regis (Laurence Fishburne) to fuel him for a takedown of over a dozen enemies. The fight was meant to end with Geralt delivering a single headbutt to one of his many enemies, but Hemsworth felt one wasn't enough. The actor insisted that he add three extra headbutts for good measure. After a humorous back and forth with the show's stunt coordinator, Hemsworth got his way, and the headbutts were added at the end of the fight. As Hemsworth noted, "It's such a violent, aggressive move at the end of this sequence that really added to what this new potion does — it shows Geralt as a little bit fiercer, a little more aggressive, and slightly more unhinged on that potion."

Fans were certainly hesitant with Cavill leaving the series; in three seasons, he received acclaim for his portrayal of Geralt (arguably his only universally praised role). Cavill's brooding nature runs counter to Hemsworth's more guy-next-door disposition. Indeed, some fans even felt "The Witcher" should have ended with season 3.

Despite audience hesitation, Netflix trudged on with this fourth season. For what it's worth, Hemsworth reportedly worked hard and impressed the show's production crew. Stunt coordinator Marcus Shakesheff told Tudum in the same interview, "The action comes very easy to him. He works hard. And he picks things up quickly as well." Shakesheff even went as far as to say that Hemsworth "smashed it" during filming. It's a shame, then, that season 4 received largely negative reviews upon its debut. Sometimes, an actor can throw themselves into a role that's been recast, but audiences will never fully accept them. You can't say that Hemsworth didn't try, at least.