We just got our first look at Henry Cavill’s replacement as Geralt in Netflix’s The Witcher show. Liam Hemsworth takes up the double swords and sports an all too familiar look—one seemingly more focused on portraying Cavill than Geralt himself.
Though what we got today was brief and didn’t feature much acting prowess at all (something which Hemsworth undoubtedly possesses), it felt like Netflix and Hemsworth both tried to do an impression of Cavill’s performance as Geralt. From the movement to the camera angles to one’s inability to distinguish between the two when Hemsworth’s face is obscured, the effort seems to have been pointed at controlling the damage of Cavill’s absence. Still, credit where credit is due—Hemsworth looks fine with the black leather armor, double swords, white hair, and iconic cat eyes.
To truly reach a verdict regarding Hemsworth’s attempt at replacing Cavill as one of the most iconic fantasy characters in a show that all but failed to capture what made the series great, we’ll have to wait for the season’s full release. The Australian actor previously dabbled a bit in book adaptations, most notably in The Hunger Games series of films, though his expertise with the fantasy genre isn’t that pronounced. Nevertheless, Hemsworth is known as a solid actor who may just pull off one of the most challenging assignments in acting—doing well as a recast.
Either he will do a Daario Naharis and give us a memorable performance that outshines his predecessor, or he will remain in his shadows. Cavill is often seen as a dim glitter of light among the dark creative liberties taken by the show, and he was allegedly let go from the project precisely because of them. It will be a difficult task for sure, but there is hope Hemsworth will at least maintain Geralt as the best character in the series.
