Summary

• Liam Hemsworth's Geralt white wig doesn't look natural, which may impact his iconic look.
• Hemsworth's height is a more accurate fit for Geralt compared to Cavill.
• Hemsworth lacks the imposing presence Geralt should have, but he will wear classic costumes that will help him blend in.

With The Witcher season 4 currently in production, a first look at Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia from the set of season 4 has been leaked, and there are both good and bad things in his Geralt look. Netflix’s The Witcher hasn’t had a smooth run so far. The first season was well-received by critics and fans of the books and video games, but the many changes made in season 2 left a stain that season 3 struggled to get rid of, despite being more loyal to the source material.

The Witcher season 3 was also the final season of Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, as it was announced before season 3 was released that he was leaving and Liam Hemsworth was taking over in season 4. Hemsworth’s casting sparked a lot of backlash and there has been a lot of expectation around his portrayal and performance as Geralt of Rivia, and though there hasn’t been an official reveal from Netflix, the first look at Hemsworth as Geralt has been leaked. Although it’s not the clearest look, it shows some good and bad things about this new Geralt.

Liam Hemsworth's Geralt Hair Doesn't Look Natural

Geralt’s Signature White Hair Isn’t Looking That Great

Hemsworth is also wearing the white wig that gives Geralt his distinctive look, but it doesn’t look quite right.

The set photos from The Witcher season 4 (via Metro) show Hemsworth in a familiar Geralt of Rivia costume from season 3: an all-black outfit with knee-high boots, the same clothes Geralt wore during his fight against Vilgefortz in The Witcher season 3. Of course, Hemsworth is also wearing the white wig that gives Geralt his distinctive look, but it doesn’t look quite right. What makes Geralt stand out is his white hair, which is a direct result of the traumatic and potentially lethal process of being a witcher, and it’s hard to pull off realistically in live-action.

While the set photos are not high quality and don’t give a close look at Hemsworth as Geralt, from what can be seen, the white wig doesn’t look too natural. Surely, this can be not just due to the quality of the photos, but also the natural lighting as these are set photos, and the footage has to go through a whole editing process that includes color correction. Hemsworth’s white hair might look a lot more natural once The Witcher season 4 is out, but for now, it’s not that different from a Geralt of Rivia costume.

Liam Hemsworth's Height Is Perfect For Geralt

Hemsworth’s Height Fits With Geralt’s Physical Description

In the books, Geralt is described as a skinny man, with an ugly smile and an even more unpleasant voice, and his height is believed to be between 6’3 and 6’6.

Something that makes Liam Hemsworth a great choice to play Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s The Witcher is his height and overall physical build. In Andrzej Sapkowski’s books, Geralt is described as a skinny man, with an ugly smile and an even more unpleasant voice, and his height is believed to be between 6’3 and 6’6, based on descriptions of how tall he is compared to other characters. Henry Cavill has become known for playing physically strong characters, as he did with his version of Superman, and Geralt of Rivia was no exception.

Cavill put a lot of effort into training to portray Geralt of Rivia, and while his physical transformation was impressive, it came as a surprise to those who were familiar with the books’ description of the title witcher. Cavill’s height is 6’1, which isn’t bad for the role, but Hemsworth fits the character better in that regard. Hemsworth is 6’3, a lot closer to how tall Geralt is said to be in the books, and the set photos show he didn’t bulk up as much as Cavill did, so while he’s not “skinny” as the books say, he’s less muscular than Cavill’s Geralt.

Liam Hemsworth Doesn’t Look As Imposing As Geralt Should

Geralt of Rivia Can Look Threatening When Needed

There’s a special poise to Geralt of Riva that was present in Cavill’s portrayal and can’t be seen in Hemsworth’s set photos.

While Geralt of Rivia isn’t a bad guy, though he has made some questionable decisions, his physical appearance is meant to be imposing. In addition to the above-mentioned physical description of Geralt in the books, he’s also mentioned to have many scars that make him look quite rough and have even been described as “hideous”. All this, along with how he moves and presents himself, makes him an imposing character, which Cavill was able to bring to his performance (despite the Netflix series leaving out the scars and other details).

There’s a special poise to Geralt of Riva that was present in Cavill’s portrayal and can’t be seen in Hemsworth’s set photos, not even in the ones showing his fight against Vilgefortz. Of course, there’s only much that leaked set photos can show about Hemsworth’s Geralt and his performance, and they might not be doing much justice to him right now, but just based on them, Hemsworth is lacking more poise and grandiose as Geralt of Rivia.

Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt Is Bringing Back One Of His Best Armors

Hemsworth’s Geralt Will Be Wearing A Now-Classic Costume

The season 2 armor was better equipped, with a stronger front piece, and four layers on the shoulders and upper arms.

Most of the leaked photos show Hemsworth in the outfit Geralt wore in his fight against Vilgefortz after the Thanedd Coup in The Witcher season 3, but another photo shows him in a familiar and popular costume. The first look at Henry Cavill in The Witcher season 2 showed him wearing a new armor which was a major upgrade from the one he wore in season 1. The season 2 armor was better equipped, with a stronger front piece, four layers on the shoulders and upper arms that not only provided protection but also more mobility, and silver details that made it more aesthetically pleasant.

Hemsworth will be wearing this armor as well, though it does look looser on him than it did on Cavill, mostly the layered shoulder pads. This could be a matter of perspective from the photo as it seems unlikely the costume department would make Hemsworth wear an armor that doesn’t fit him well, but seeing him in this familiar armor makes it easier to picture him as the famous monster hunter – after all, what most viewers want to see from The Witcher is Geralt fighting monsters and other enemies, and that’s what the audience is looking forward to the most with Hemsworth.

Liam Hemsworth Wearing Past Geralt Costumes Will Help Him Blend In

Hemsworth’s Past Costumes Can Be Key To His Introduction

The flashbacks in this tale would have to match the current version of Geralt, so it makes sense to recreate scenes from seasons 2 and 3 (and maybe even season 1) with Hemsworth.

The most exciting thing about Hemsworth’s first look in The Witcher season 4 is the fact that he’s wearing costumes from past seasons and recreating at least one scene from season 3. The exact reason and context around this recreation of the fight between Geralt and Vilgefortz remains unknown, but so far, it points at The Witcher season 4 using flashbacks to specific Geralt moments, and re-shooting them with Hemsworth is actually a clever idea.

A lot has been said about how The Witcher season 4 will address its different Geralt, with the solution most likely being Nimue and Stribog, who will tell the story of Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri to children, thus allowing for physical changes in the characters as these stories are legends told by different people. The flashbacks in this tale would have to match the current version of Geralt, so it makes sense to recreate scenes from seasons 2 and 3 (and maybe even season 1) with Hemsworth.

This speaks volumes about the attention to detail in The Witcher season 4 and the production’s efforts to make Liam Hemsworth’s debut as Geralt of Rivia as smooth as possible, and now it’s only a matter of time to see the first official, full look at him and his performance in the series.

Source: Metro.