“The Witcher” officially unveils Liam Hemsworth's Geralt in exclusive season 4 first look

Showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich tells EW the "cast and crew alike have been struck by the passion, energy, and embodiment Liam has brought to the character from Day 1."

Geralt of Rivia is sporting a new look these days — and a new actor.

After paparazzi photos leaked from the set of The Witcher season 4, which is currently in production in the U.K., Entertainment Weekly can exclusively debut the official first-look photo and footage (watch above) of Liam Hemsworth as the White Wolf of the Continent.

"His look has been in development for over a year, so it’s thrilling to finally share an official sneak peek of Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia," The Witcher showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich tells EW in an exclusive statement. "Cast and crew alike have been struck by the passion, energy, and embodiment Liam has brought to the character from Day 1 — scruffy beard, iconic scar, and all! We’re having so much fun filming season 4 and are excited to welcome fans along on this journey with us."

Related: The Witcher season 5 confirmed to end the show

The Hunger Games and Independence Day: Resurgence star takes over the lead role of Geralt starting with The Witcher season 4 after Henry Cavill portrayed the character since the fantasy-drama's 2019 freshman season. Cavill announced his departure from the show in 2022 at a time when it was looking like he was going to continue playing Superman on the big screen, but Warner Bros. shifted its plans for the DC superhero movie slate in a new direction. Cavill has since turned his attention to starring in and producing a Warhammer 40,000 series at Amazon.

"My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures," Cavill wrote in a statement shared to social media at the time. "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."

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Hemsworth now joins Freya Allan, returning as Princess Cirilla; Anya Chalotra, returning as sorceress Yennefer; and Joey Batey, returning as minstrel Jaskier.

Related: Laurence Fishburne joins The Witcher as fan-favorite Regis, season 4 plot details emerge

“As a Witcher fan, I’m over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia,” Hemsworth said in a previous statement. “Henry Cavill has been an incredible Geralt, and I’m honored that he’s handing me the reins and allowing me to take up the White Wolf’s blades for the next chapter of his adventure. Henry, 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.”

Though Geralt remains a fan-favorite character among Witcher fans across the books, video games, and TV show, season 3 of the series set the stage for an even larger focus on Ciri. "One of the more important things about Ciri is that we will slowly discover that she is the main character of the Witcher saga," executive producer Tomek Baginski said in a making-of special for season 3. "Not Geralt, not Yennefer. It's Ciri's story."

Related: Liam Hemsworth to replace Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher season 4

Netflix announced a slew of newcomers joining the cast for season 4, including Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix, John Wick) as fan-favorite Barber-surgeon Regis, Sharlto Copley (District 9, Monkey Man) as infamous bounty hunter Leo Bonhart, James Purefoy (The Following, Solomon Kane) as Emhyr's court advisor and high-ranking spy Skellen, and Danny Woodburn (Watchmen, Mirror Mirror) as dwarf Zoltan.

Production began on season 4 in April, at which point the streaming giant announced The Witcher will come to an end with season 5. The now final two seasons will adapt the events from author Andrzej Sapkowski's books Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, and Lady of the Lake.

See the official first look at Liam Hemsworth's Geralt above.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.