The Witcher's incoming leading man Liam Hemsworth looks "awesome" in his Geralt of Rivia makeup, according to executive producer Tomek Baginski.
Baginski raved about Hemsworth's transformation into Geralt, a role he's set to take over from original series headliner Henry Cavill in Season 4, during an interview with Express Online. "I've already seen [Hemsworth] in Witcher makeup," he said. "And in the Witcher look. And he looks awesome." Baginski added that The Witcher's creative team will allow Hemsworth the room he needs to make the Geralt part his own. "[Hemsworth] will be given space, he will be given his voice. He has to discover this character for himself. And, for me, it is crazily exciting. Especially in the world of the [Witcher] books, which kind of allow this unsureness. There are so many angles on so many stories which happen in the books. So it will be a great discovery to do it again."
Baginski has taken pains in recent months to reassure fans that the transition from Cavill to Hemsworth won't negatively impact The Witcher's fourth season. Notably, the executive producer previously insisted that there is "a very, very good plan" in place to manage Hemsworth's introduction to the series. He further stated that the Aussie actor's incarnation of Geralt will arrive in a way that's consistent with The Witcher creator Andrzej Sapkowski's novels and short stories. "It's very lore accurate. It's very close to what was set out in the books and I think this change will be quite flawless," Baginski said.
The Witcher Showrunner Discusses Henry Cavill's Exit
While Baginski seems confident that The Witcher can survive Cavill's exit, Netflix apparently wasn't always so sure. Showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich said as much in a recent interview, revealing that Netflix gave her and the show's other executive producers the option to end The Witcher after Cavill left. This ultimately didn't happen, as Hissrich and the rest of the show's creative team felt there were "just too many stories left to tell." Hissrich also noted that another possibility Netflix proposed was to shift The Witcher's focus onto one of Geralt's fellow monster hunters rather than recast the Geralt role, which she rejected for deviating too much from the books.
Fans will have to wait until The Witcher Season 4 arrives to decide for themselves whether Hissrich made the right call to push ahead without Cavill, although at least one cast member is confident she has. Yennefer of Vengerberg actor Anya Chalotra recently made it clear she's not afraid that Hemsworth replacing Cavill will spell disaster for the Netflix series, and labeled the prospect of working with Hemsworth "exciting."
All three seasons of The Witcher are currently streaming on Netflix.
Source: Express Online