Henry Cavill will not play Geralt in The Witcher Season 4

Netflix's The Witcher series will return for a fourth series - without Henry Cavill.

In a statement issued today, Netflix confirmed that "while The Witcher Season 3 hasn't debuted yet, it has already been renewed for a fourth season." However, in that fourth season, Liam Hemsworth - not Henry Cavill - will step in as Geralt of Rivia.

Cavill said that "my journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4," and that "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."

Hemsworth said that "As a Witcher fan I’m over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia. Henry Cavill has been an incredible Geralt, and I’m honoured 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."

It's not clear why Cavill is stepping away - the actor was vocal about how keen he was to play Geralt ahead of his casting, and it's been known that showrunner Lauren Hissrich is hoping for seven seasons of the show for some time. It seems likely that other commitments - likely the DC Universe where Cavill plays Clark Kent/Superman, or maybe even a potential role as the next James Bond.

We're not set to see The Witcher Season 3 until next summer, so season four could easily be nearly two years away. That means we won't see Hemsworth - best known for his role as Gale in the Hunger Games films - for some time. There's no word on any other casting for the future series.

Want to play, not watch? CDPR is working on a The Witcher remake.