The Witcher team addresses Henry Cavill's exit: 'Those conversations happened for a while' (exclu...

Showrunner Lauren Hissrich explains the major recasting, while stars Freya Allan and Anya Chalotra share their reaction to the switch. The Witcher team addresse

Showrunner Lauren Hissrich explains the major recasting, while stars Freya Allan and Anya Chalotra share their reaction to the switch.

The Witcher team addresses Henry Cavill's exit: 'Those conversations happened for a while' (exclusive)

Showrunner Lauren Hissrich explains the major recasting, while stars Freya Allan and Anya Chalotra share their reaction to the switch.

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in *Vanity Fair*, Vulture, IGN, and more.

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September 25, 2025 1:00 p.m. ET

The big topic of conversation involving *The Witcher* these days is the departure of Henry Cavill, who headlined the Netflix fantasy drama for the first three seasons. His exit was announced in tandem with the news that Liam Hemsworth of *The Hunger Games* would succeed Cavill in the role. Several months after that, the streamer signaled the end of the show with seasons 4 and 5.

Questions have circulated as to why Cavill left the show. Some rumors suggested "creative differences," a phrase that showrunner Lauren Hissrich tells ** could mean just about anything in this industry.

"He had plans for other roles that he really wanted to commit himself to," she says for EW's *The Witcher* season 4 cover story. "And for us, you don't want to hold someone and force them to be doing something that they don't want to do. I think that's why it felt like a really symbiotic decision."

Reps for Cavill did not respond to EW's requests for comment.

Henry Cavill as Geralt on 'The Witcher'. Netflix

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Hissrich also says "those conversations" about recasting Geralt "happened for a while," noting her first conversations with Hemsworth came toward the end of 2022. "We all knew that a change was going to take place," she adds. "And we were excited to think about what that change could be and, from my perspective, how that change could fit into story really well."

Days before Netflix announced Hemsworth as Cavill's successor, the *Man of Steel* star declared on social media that he would return as Superman on the big screen. It turned out to be premature, as DC Studios went under new leadership and the direction for the superhero franchise drastically changed course to focus on David Corenswet's iteration of the comics hero. Even James Gunn, one of the studio heads, admitted Cavill was "dicked around by a lot of people, including the former regime at this company."

Cavill has since pivoted his focus to an Amazon TV series based on *Warhammer 40k* and the new *Highlander* movie for Lionsgate.

"My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures," Cavill said in a statement shared in October 2022. "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."

Freya Allan, Liam Hemsworth, and Anya Chalotra on 'The Witcher' season 4.

"I cried," Anya Chalotra, who plays Yennefer on *The Witcher*, recalls of her reaction to Cavill's departure. "I remember it so vividly. It really impacted me. We were so bonded to these people and to lose such an important member of the team…I've put everything into this character. I started having not much work under my belt, and this show means the world to me. So it hurt."

Freya Allan, who plays Geralt's "Child of Surprise" Ciri, acknowledges how *The Witcher* takes up such "a big part of our lives" as actors. "Any changes like that hold a lot of weight to them," she says.

The main cast were able to connect with Cavill after the news broke. "We had a phone call to talk about it and say goodbye," Allan says. "And I've messaged a couple times since because he was Geralt for Ciri for so long and that's sad to let that go, but I'm also really excited to see what Liam's done with the role."

Liam Hemsworth as Geralt on 'The Witcher'.

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Hemsworth, too, connected with Cavill for the handoff. "We had a good chat just talking about our different experiences and the character," Hemsworth shares. "I think Henry's amazing and I'm fortunate enough to continue on this journey." **

Hissrich didn't want to "pull one over on the audience" with the recasting, as she puts it. "Our audience is very smart, very savvy, very vocal," she says. "We knew that they were gonna have a lot of opinions about this. So for us it was really about, how do we announce this change? And then, how do we, from a storytelling perspective, embrace the change?"

*The Witcher* season 4 will premiere eight episodes on Netflix this Oct. 30.

For more, read EW's latest digital cover story.**

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