The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich has revealed exactly why Liam Hemsworth was chosen to replace Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia.
In a move that both shocked and upset fans, Cavill confirmed he'd be hanging up his white wig and leaving the popular Netflix series for good back in 2022.
It came amid rumors of a divide between Cavill and the producers on The Witcher, while the actor had previously said he'd commit to seven seasons of the show as long as the series honored its source material.
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Cavill seemingly had bigger fish to fry after all, moving his focus onto Superman's Man of Steel 2 following his performance in the original 2013 movie.
Only it wasn't meant to be; the British star was replaced by David Corenswet as the film took a different direction. Ouch.
Meanwhile, Netflix was left with some very big shoes to fill; Cavill had captivated audiences as Geralt for three consecutive seasons.
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Even as the show’s critical reception wavered over the seasons, praise for Cavill’s performance remained unanimous.
Showrunners opted for The Hunger Games' Liam Hemsworth instead.
Fans weren't all too pleased, but it appears the showrunners were blown away by the Aussie actor.
Hemsworth is set to take on the role of Geralt as the series concludes with its final two seasons.
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He’ll make his debut in season four, which premieres this Thursday (October 30).
In an interview with IGN, Hissrich revealed the unique quality Hemsworth possessed that made him destined for the role.
"When we were looking at who potentially could fill the shoes of Geralt, there is a physicality that has to be present,” Hissrich began.
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"You need someone who you can imagine can excel at these action scenes, who has such a physical presence that they could be both intimidating in the story, but also, Geralt has a huge emotional side as well…"
She continued: "What I really loved about Liam's work that I had seen is that he was able to organically blend those two things. He didn't have physical scenes and then emotional scenes. "He was able to really carry this specific, I guess I call it soul.
"He has a soul that he brings into the role… To have that present even through action scenes when he's fighting monsters, and it's the same thing that's present when he's having conversations with Ciri or with Yennefer, that was a really special thing that we were able to capture."
Hissrich concluded: "And when I had watched some of his work, specifically going back to Hunger Games, that's something that I felt from him."
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Well, there you have it - think what you like about Hemsworth, but the boy has got soul... apparently.
The Witcher continues with season four landing on Netflix on Thursday (October 30).
Topics: Film and TV, Henry Cavill, Netflix, Streaming, The Witcher, Celebrity
Ellie Kemp