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A controversial Netflix series that was nearly boycotted by its fans after its main star left the show has vaulted up the streaming platform’s rankings.
With 7.4 million views so far, the latest season of The Witcher has certainly proved critics wrong after facing an uphill battle for several years.
In 2022, it was confirmed that Superman star Henry Cavill, who played the character for three seasons between 2019 and 2023, was stepping down from the role of Geralt of Rivia.
Taking his place, Liam Hemsworth stepped in as the fantasy series returned with season 4.
Despite fans previously claiming that they would ‘not watch The Witcher without Henry’, the show has managed to smash its opposition in terms of viewing numbers.
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Coming in at second on Netflix with 4.8 million views is season two of Nobody Wants This, while the latest series to be released, Death By Lightning, has come in at number five with 3.2 million views.
Addressing the ‘distracting’ mass of attention that he received when it was announced he was taking over from Henry, Liam that he had to ‘put that aside’.
The former Hunger Games star, 35, told Entertainment Weekly: ‘There was quite a bit of noise and I had to put that aside. It started to become a distraction.’
‘I dealt with that sort of thing in the past a lot and, you know, at the end of the day, I love making movies and I love telling stories and acting. I just don’t want any of that to affect my way of telling the story that I’m trying to tell. I jumped off social media and the internet most of last year.’
Announcing his decision to leave the show in 2022, Henry posted on Instagram: ‘Some news to share from The Continent…
What did Metro think?
Our TV editor Sabrina Barr shares her thoughts on The Witcher season four…
As upset as I was to see the Superman actor step down from a role that he played so brilliantly and cared about so deeply, I’ve had high hopes for Liam from the start. I could see his potential. The Hunger Games star has the acting chops, the physicality, the screen presence – so why couldn’t he be a worthy successor?
The recasting obviously threw an almighty axe in the works, but I personally wanted The Witcher be granted a complete end, rather than being cancelled prematurely. So when I approached watching all eight episodes of season four, I did so with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.
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‘My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4. In my stead, the fantastic Mr Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf.
‘As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam’s take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men.
‘Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find.’
Picking up from where the third series ended, Geralt’s latest adventure sees him separated from allies Yennifer (Anya Chalotra) and Ciri (Freya Allan).
New companions emerge as their paths diverge, and together the group have to navigate a continent ravaged by war.
Newcomers Laurence Fishburne and Sharlto Copley have also joined the cast for the fourth series, playing characters Regis and Leo Bonhart, respectively
Season four was shot back-to-back with the already greenlit season five, which was informed by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher books.
The Witcher season four is available to stream on Netflix.
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