The first trailer for the show’s upcoming season finally gives us a look at Liam Hemsworth stepping into Henry Cavill’s role as Geralt of Rivia. But what stands out isn’t the recasting—it’s a fight scene that makes the Butcher of Blaviken look like a rookie.
The teaser sets up a deadly encounter in a fog-draped forest. Geralt halts his companions, announces the presence of a wraith, and draws his word. So far, so good. But when the ghostly figure strikes, the battle-worn monster hunter responds like a rookie: frantic sword swings, failed counters, and a dragging across the dirt before he remembers the one spell in his arsenal designed specifically to handle specters.
For fans of the books and games, it’s a jarring sight. Beyond the sloppy choreography and corny special effects; it’s a fundamental misunderstanding of who Geralt is and why audiences care about him.
By lore, Geralt is no ordinary swordsman. Witchers like Geralt are recruited as children and made to undergo relentless training in combat, alchemy, and monster knowledge. The years-long process culminates in a dangerous ceremony known as the Trial of Grasses—a gauntlet of mutagenic concoctions that kills most candidates but gifts its survivors with heightened senses, stamina, and speed. Geralt isn’t just tough; he’s an encyclopedia of draconids, vampires, and werebeasts and how to take them down with deadly efficiency.
In both Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels and CD Projekt’s video games, Geralt’s true strength lies in his experience. He studies bestiaries, prepares oils and potions, lays traps, and chooses his weapons with precision. Combat for Geralt is less about brute force and more about applying his knowledge and experience. When Netflix portrays him hacking wildly at an incorporeal foe, it undercuts everything that makes The Witcher a witcher.
Fantasy adaptations often walk a fine line between respecting the source material and simplifying it for mainstream audiences. Cavill, a self-professed fan of the games and novels, by most accounts, pushed hard for lore accuracy in his time as Geralt, often to the point of friction with the writers and showrunners. With Hemsworth now in the role, that responsibility falls squarely on The Witcher’s production team.
Ironically, I found myself relating to this Geralt a bit more than previous depictions. My first few attempts to play The Witcher 3 ended with frustration—stiff combat, tough monsters, and a lot of blind flailing. Watching Hemsworth’s Geralt pirouette and slash his sword through dead air brought me right back to when I was a player fumbling with new mechanics.
Netflix had the opportunity to develop a popular fantasy series with built-in depth and an established visual direction. Instead, it continues to sand off the details that make Geralt such a compelling protagonist, presenting him as a generic action hero in a leather coat. This is no better exemplified than in the final seconds of the trailer. Geralt, who has finally come to his senses, casts a spell that stops the wraith in its tracks. Then he indulges in a cheesy finishing move that would make Johnny Cage proud, thrusting his hand into the specter’s chest and pulling out its heart.
Hemsworth is fine—fans of the show aren’t so loyal to Cavill that they’d miss a whole new season of the television adaptation. But this isn’t a Hemsworth problem; it’s a Netflix one. The wraith fight in Netflix’s new trailer is supposed to be a showcase of the new Geralt of Rivia. Instead, it doubles down on the series’ painful, enduring refusal to adapt the damn source material. And fans are already noticing. The trailer’s comments section are almost universally, overwhelmingly disappointed at how Geralt is depicted in this latest teaser. Hopefully, Netflix will read the signs and let this witcher lay his silver sword down for good.
