Henry Cavill’s sudden and unexpected departure from The Witcher after season three was genuinely shocking. He had previously said he was “absolutely” committed to playing Geralt of Rivia for seven seasons. With a Hollywood A-lister leading the fantasy series, it seemed guaranteed for an especially long run at a streaming site known for ending shows way too early. But even without him, it seemed likely The Witcher would stay the course. The streamer has greatly expanded the franchise with a number of spinoffs. And Liam Hemsworth is replacing Cavill as The Continent’s White Wolf. Only now comes more shocking news: Hemsworth won’t be playing the monster hunter for long. The show will end with season five.
Netflix has announced that while it has greenlit season five of The Witcher, that will also mark the show’s final year. It will film “back-to-back” with season 4, which is now in production. Combined the two final years of the show will adapt three of author Andrzej Sapkowski’s books. The series will cover the events of Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, and Lady of the Lake.
In a press release showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich said, “It is with huge pride that we begin shooting our penultimate season of The Witcher with a stellar cast, including some exciting new additions, led by Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia. We’re thrilled to be able to bring Andrzej Sapkowski’s books to an epic and satisfying conclusion. It wouldn’t be our show if we didn’t push our family of characters to their absolute limit — stay tuned to see how the story ends.”
Netflix shared the first official images for season four. They show the cast, both old and new stars alike, during the first table read. That includes our first look at Hemsworth working on the show, as well as the great Laurence Fishburne who is set to play a beloved character.
The streamer also shared writing and directing credits for the fourth season:
- Writers: Lauren Schmidt Hissrich (401), Tania Lotia (402), Rae Benjamin (403), Troy Dangerfield (404), Matthew D’Ambrosio (405), Javier Grillo-Marxuach (406), Clare Higgins (407), Mike Ostrowski (408)
- Directors: Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (401 & 402), Tricia Brock (403 & 404), Alex Garcia Lopez (405 & 406), Jeremy Webb (407 & 408)
What it hasn’t shared is how seven season (at least) is going to end up being just five. Did Cavill’s departure lessen Netflix’s commitment to the show? Is this a bad sign for season four? Or did the writers simply realize the most natural and best ending spot for this story was season five? We’ll get the only answer that matters when seasons four and five premiere.