There are some fantasy heroes so deeply intertwined with the actors who play them that any replacement feels like an act of treason. Henry Cavill's Geralt of Rivia, the white-haired monster hunter of The Witcher, is one such role.
So, when the recently released The Witcher Season 4 opens with Liam Hemsworth's version of the gruff, stoic Witcher, the viewers brace themselves.
He deserves a fair chance. But every time he mutters a low "hmm", or tries to stare with contempt a la Geralt straight off the books, one can't help but miss Cavill's quiet intensity, that perfect balance of brute strength and book-nerd devotion.
Adapted loosely from Andrzej Sapkowski's The Time of Contempt (a book so dense it should come with a reading guide), Season 4 of The Witcher tries to merge its sprawling lore with cinematic flair. The problem? The heart seems missing. The tone is heavier, the humour is drier, and even the monsters seem tired.
Liam Hemsworth: The New Face Of The Witcher Falls Flat
Let's start with Liam Hemsworth. He's not bad, per se. He just feels like the Witcher you ordered online when the one you wanted was out of stock. He swings the sword with precision, broods on cue, and carries the scars well.
But Cavill's Geralt was more than scars and swordplay. His was a performance layered with love for Sapkowski's world, and it showed. Cavill understood the philosophy behind the grunt. Hemsworth, meanwhile, still seems to be finding his rhythm.
Cirilla's Story: "Always Lost, Never Found"
The story itself pulls from The Age of Contempt, a notoriously difficult book to adapt. The politics deepen, the betrayals multiply, and Cirilla, forever lost and running, continues her arc as destiny's child.
Let us explain: Ciri's growth and her time with The Rats is compelling, but her "always lost, never found" narrative starts to feel repetitive. She deserves more than endless wandering and cryptic prophecies.
Not An Expected Fellowship
What surprised me most, though, is how much parts of this season resemble a high-fantasy road movie. With Geralt joining forces with Cahir, Milva, Jaskier, a couple of dwarves, and the gnome (yes, really), and at times it's as if The Witcher suddenly wants to cosplay as The Fellowship of the Rings.
Sometimes it works - the camaraderie, the moral dilemmas, the sweeping visuals. Other times, it feels like a forced crossover of aesthetics and tone. Not to sound like a book nerd again, but the idea "the book was better" holds true here.
Laurence Fishburne's Big Secret
And then comes Laurence Fishburne as Regis, the standout of the season for this viewer. His screen presence is magnetic, his delivery effortless, and he brings a gravitas that instantly elevates every scene.
Honestly, the man could read the Nilfgaardian tax code and still make it sound profound. Without going too much into spoilers, suffice it to say that Regis is more than meets the eye, sometimes he straight-up scares more than the monsters, and is definitely more impactful than Hemsworth.
The Lodge of Sorceresses: Where Magic Meets Purpose
If there's one subplot that truly works for me this season, it's Yennefer's (Anya Chalotra) arc and the formation of the Lodge of Sorceresses. Unlike Marvel's blink-and-miss "all-women power shot", this team-up feels earned.
These are powerful, flawed women who've fought, betrayed, and bled for their world. We've seen all of them grow through the last three seasons on their separate arcs, so their coming together is not a hashtag moment, but an actual narrative alliance.
Chalotra commands every scene, reminding us why The Witcher's politics of power and gender have always been smarter than most franchise fare. It's the kind of team-up that makes you wish Netflix gave them their own spin-off instead of just another monster-of-the-week episode.
Overall, The Witcher Season 4 is entertaining enough, especially if you treat it like background fantasy ambience. It's got sword fights, quips, monsters, and a few emotional payoffs. But where earlier seasons drew you into the mythos, this one feels more like checking in on old friends from a distance.
It's worth a watch for nostalgia and curiosity, but much like the later seasons of Game of Thrones, you might find yourself letting it play while scrolling through your phone or doing your chores. The Continent hasn't lost its magic entirely, but it sure feels like the Witcher's soul is wandering somewhere else.