'It Started to Become a Distraction' — Backlash to Henry Cavill Recasting as Geralt for The Witcher Caused Liam Hemsworth to Quit Social Media and the Internet for Most of 2024

Liam Hemsworth has spoken for the archetypal clip astir the recasting of Henry Cavill arsenic Geralt for Netflix’s The Witcher, admitting absorption online forced him disconnected societal media and the internet.

Cavill’s exit sparked a backlash from immoderate fans of the show, which has seen tremendous occurrence with erstwhile Superman histrion Cavill arsenic Geralt for 3 seasons. It's inactive chartless wherefore Cavill near but the histrion said successful November 2021 helium was perfectly committed to a 7 play tally of The Witcher "as agelong arsenic we tin support telling large stories which grant Sapkowski's work."

Netflix announced successful November 2022 that The Witcher would proceed without its starring man. Last year, speaking to Collider, Ciri histrion Freya Allan said she felt atrocious for Hemsworth for having to instrumentality implicit from Cavill successful what was "not an perfect situation."

"I consciousness atrocious for him, honestly, because, fig one, that instrumentality basal tin beryllium precise attack-y, and it’s not an perfect concern to beryllium successful taking up idiosyncratic else’s role,” she said. “But I’m truly excited to spot what helium does. And he’s specified a beauteous guy. I conscionable anticipation that radical springiness him the clip of day."

Now, speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Hemsworth remembered the infinitesimal the recasting quality broke and however absorption online affected him.

"There was rather a spot of sound and I had to enactment that aside. It started to go a distraction," helium said. "I dealt with that benignant of happening successful the past a batch and, you know, astatine the extremity of the day, I emotion making movies and I emotion telling stories and acting. I conscionable don't privation immoderate of that to impact my mode of telling the communicative that I'm trying to tell. I jumped disconnected societal media and the net astir of past year."

The connection to play Geralt “came retired of nowhere," Hemsworth revealed, adding: "I was arsenic amazed arsenic anyone."

Hemsworth told EW he’s played CD Projekt’s The Witcher 3 respective times, but has ne'er managed to implicit the main story. He called it "one of the champion video games of each time."

Back successful 2022, Cavill took to societal media to accidental helium would instrumentality to play Superman "after being told by the studio" to bash so, but caller DC Studio heads James Gunn and Peter Safran went successful different absorption (Gunn aboriginal admitted Cavill was messed astir by erstwhile workplace leadership). Cavill went connected to motion a woody with Amazon and Games Workshop to accommodate Warhammer 40,000, a tabletop crippled helium loves, and is presently recovering from a limb wounded sustained grooming for the Highlander reboot.

The Witcher Season 4, meanwhile, premieres connected Netflix connected October 30. The season’s authoritative crippled synopsis reads: “After the Continent-altering events of Season Three, Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri find themselves separated by a raging warfare and countless enemies. As their paths diverge, and their goals sharpen, they stumble connected unexpected allies anxious to articulation their journeys. And if they tin judge these recovered families, they conscionable mightiness person a accidental astatine reuniting for good…”

The Witcher’s penultimate play is composed of 8 episodes that tally 50 minutes each. The bid ends with Season 5.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].