Liam Hemsworth reportedly was a frontrunner for The Witcher before Henry Cavill got the part

While fans of Netflix's Witcher franchise are not happy with Henry Cavill 's departure or Netflix picking Liam Hemsworth as his replacement, according to a new report by the Witcher fan site Redanian Intelligence Liam was a frontrunner for the part after he auditioned for the role in 2018.

Cavill will end his tenure as the iconic monster hunter Gerald of Rivia in season 3, with Liam Hemsworth taking over the role from season 4.

So it was no wonder the showrunners were quick to cast Hemsworth for the role after Cavill walked out, the actor took to Instagram to announce his excitement for the role and his love for the franchise saying

"As a Witcher fan I’m over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia," Hemsworth posted on Instagram after his casting was announced. "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."

he went on to add "I may have some big boots to fill, but I’m truly excited to be stepping into The Witcher world.”

While it is nice to hear the actor share his love for the franchise, it is clear that the fandom has not warmed up to the idea. As a matter of fact, a petition was also launched calling for Cavill to return to the role of Geralt for season 4, and in a matter of days, it's already flown past 100,000 signatures.

While there is little chance of this portion changing the minds of the showrunners or Netflix, it does seem that the streaming ain't will have a big problem in its hand when season four eventually airs.

The first two season of the Witcher are currently streaming on Netflix with the third season set to stream in early 2023.