Netflix Recast Geralt Twice But The Witcher's Problems Remain

Published Oct 23, 2026, 9:15 PM EDT

Adrienne Tyler is a movies & TV features writer, with a focus on horror. She has written for Netflix, FanSided, & more. She was a regular guest on the Netfreaks podcast and was a YouTuber at some point. Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once.

Netflix has recast Geralt of Rivia twice since The Witcher debuted on the platform, but despite these key changes, the show’s problems have persisted. Netflix is home to some of the best fantasy TV shows of all time, and among them, despite its many flaws, is The Witcher. Based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s book series of the same name, The Witcher debuted on Netflix in 2019 to great success, but, unfortunately, its second season couldn’t live up to the quality of the first season.

Despite a weak second season, Netflix decided to give The Witcher a chance at redemption with four more seasons. At the time of writing, The Witcher season 5 is in development, and it will be the show’s final season. The Witcher season 5 will be the second season with Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia, who took over the role after Henry Cavill left the show after season 3, thus becoming the second time that Geralt has been recast.

Netflix’s The Witcher goes beyond the show everyone now knows, as it has expanded with animated spinoff movies, a prequel miniseries, and a special episode. The franchise’s second movie, Sirens of the Deep, didn’t have Cavill voicing Geralt, instead casting Doug Cockle, who has voiced the famous witcher in the video game series. Every Geralt in Netflix’s The Witcher has been good, but the show’s problems have continued, proving that Geralt has never been the problem.

The Problems Of Netflix’s The Witcher Have Never Been About Geralt

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The Witcher began with Henry Cavill playing Geralt of Rivia, and he was a huge part of the appeal of the Netflix show. Cavill is not only a well-established action star, but he also openly spoke about being a fan of the world of The Witcher. Cavill’s knowledge and passion for the character and universe of The Witcher definitely showed, and he brilliantly brought Geralt to life for three seasons.

As mentioned above, Doug Cockle is no stranger to Geralt and knows the character quite well, bringing out his vulnerable side and adding a sense of familiarity for fans of the franchise. Then came Liam Hemsworth, who faced a lot of backlash and skepticism before his season was released, but ended up winning over the audience with his performance as Geralt. All this proves that Geralt has never been the problem with Netflix’s The Witcher, and despite the recasts, he has actually been the show’s most consistent element.

The main problem with Netflix’s The Witcher has been the creative liberties it has taken, and it all began in season 2. That season was very different from the source material, to the point where it changed Yennefer (Anya Chalotra) so much that she was unrecognizable for fans of the books and video games. The show has been trying to fix those mistakes and redeem itself since then, with season 4 being its best and most consistent season since the first one.

These changes led to misinterpreted stories and themes, weak character arcs, and lack of development, especially of its three main characters (Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri). The Witcher could have been Netflix’s biggest fantasy franchise had it stayed true to the source material and character growth, but it has one final chance to make things right.

How The Witcher Season 5 Can End The Show On A High Note

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As mentioned above, season 4 is the one that has fixed Netflix’s The Witcher the most, feeling a lot more like the books, having a better structure, and developing the characters a lot more. This gives hope for a good final season of The Witcher, but there are a couple of things it must do in order to fully redeem the show and end it on a high note.

First off, The Witcher season 5 needs to remember the most exciting part of its universe: the monster hunting. The show significantly reduced its monster-hunting scenes and focus, and while it’s understandable given the stories it has had to cover, it’s not quite fair given that, after all, what a Witcher does is fight monsters. Season 5, then, should bring monsters and witcher adventures back, more so now that Ciri has been trained as one.

Of course, The Witcher season 5 also needs to be as loyal to the remaining books as possible, especially when it comes to the fates of its three main characters. On that note, The Witcher season 5 needs to give proper endings to Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri, with no loose ends, no cliffhangers, and answering the biggest questions about their journeys. Surely, it’s a lot for season 5 to cover, more so as The Witcher typically has eight episodes per season, but it can be achieved by focusing on the most important points.