Liam Hemsworth is replacing Henry Cavill as The Witcher's Geralt Of Rivia

Woof, we weren’t kidding when we called Henry Cavill “Mr. Popular” earlier this week, huh?

This, in reference to a press release dropped on our heads by Netflix today, announcing that Cavill will not be returning as Geralt Of Rivia for the fourth season of its fantasy adaptation The Witcher, and will, instead, be replaced by Quibi’s own Liam Hemsworth in the part.

Hemsworth and Cavill both issued statements on Instagram today announcing the news, with Cavill saying that he “will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4.” (Cavill will still be playing Geralt for the show’s third season, which is slated to arrive online in summer 2023, to be clear.) Cavill didn’t give a reason for his departure, although its easy to speculate that an increasingly crowded film schedule—include various signs and portents that he’s going to be resuming his duties as Warner Bros. Discovery’s resident Superman in a serious way pretty soon—might have impacted the decision.

Hemsworth, meanwhile, issued his own statement, expressing his delight at taking on the role of Geralt, a mutant monster hunter who finds himself inevitably swept up into vast and deadly plots by scheming nobles and magic users. “Henry,” Hemsworth wrote, “I’ve been a fan of yours for years, and was inspired by what you brought to this beloved character. I may have some big boots to fill, but I’m truly excited to be stepping into the Witcher world.”

The Witcher last released new episodes in December 2021. One thing that Netflix’s press release didn’t address was whether the show would be going full-on The Crown with this move, and swapping out Cavill’s co-stars Anya Chalotra and Freya Allan as well, while it was busy getting itself a brand new Geralt.