The Witcher is officially coming to an end after season 5 (whenever that is released), and the show’s cancelation fixes a problem caused by Henry Cavill’s exit. The Netflix fantasy drama television series, created by Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s book series of the same name, premiered in December 2019 and quickly became one of the streaming service’s biggest shows (and one of the most-watched series across all streaming platforms). However, things began to go downhill when The Witcher season 3 was released, as it featured a severe drop in viewership, and audiences overall negatively perceived it.
The Audience Score for The Witcher season 3 on Rotten Tomatoes is shockingly low (19 percent) compared to the previous two seasons, and it seemed like fans were fed up with the fantasy drama show. While one could argue that a drop in quality was behind the series’ downfall in season 3, some fans may have also been angry about the news concerning Cavill’s exit and Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt of Rivia recast. Many are still unhappy that Hemsworth is stepping in for Cavill, but Netflix’s cancelation update is a positive sign for the remainder of The Witcher.
The Witcher was renewed for a fifth (and final) season just after the cast and crew began filming season 4, meaning that the writers and producers can now craft an end goal for the series, one of the show’s many issues before and after Henry Cavill exited. At one point during the series, it seemed as if the writers were setting up many different storylines that would branch in different directions (like spin-offs), instead of creating a condensed and interconnected plot that was building up to an epic ending. Then, Cavill’s departure certainly threw a wrench into The Witcher‘s future.
Netflix undoubtedly wanted to turn The Witcher into a massive franchise with numerous spin-offs, movies, animated projects, and a long-running original series. Instead, the original seven-year plan for The Witcher is dead, and the franchise’s future is unclear after The Witcher season 5. However, the good news is that, with the end in sight, the writers have time to craft the perfect finale for the once-popular Netflix fantasy drama show. Hopefully, whatever they conjure up will ultimately satisfy the majority of the audience.
The future of The Witcher no longer rests on Liam Hemsworth’s shoulders following the cancelation news. Of course, the main story surrounding the upcoming season 4 would be whether Hemsworth could effectively stand where Henry Cavill once stood, but he has big shoes to fill, making the task almost impossible. Now, with the Netflix series having a confirmed ending in sight, the cast of The Witcher season 4 won’t feel like the show’s future depends on how Hemsworth’s Geralt is perceived. It doesn’t matter if fans love or hate him because the series is ending after season 5 regardless.
The cast (especially Hemsworth) and crew can now film The Witcher season 4 with a weight off their shoulders. Of course, they will still put their all into the episodes, and Hemsworth is undoubtedly determined to prove those who doubt his ability to play Geralt wrong. However, perhaps the alleviated pressure will result in better performances from everyone involved with the production of The Witcher season 4. Only time will tell if the upcoming episodes exceed the public’s expectations or are somehow worse than The Witcher season 3, though.
When all is said and done, Henry Cavill will have played Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher longer than Liam Hemsworth, with Cavill starring as the protagonist in the show’s first three seasons and Hemsworth in the last two. Consequently, Hemsworth’s limited two seasons as Geralt suggests that his story in the Netflix series could be better than if he had more time to portray the character. The shrunken timetable streamlines production, allowing the writers to plan Geralt’s ending ahead and structure a complete blueprint for Hemsworth’s character in the remaining two seasons of The Witcher.