Netflix confirms The Witcher Season 4, Henry Cavill replaced as Geralt

Netflix has announced The Witcher Season 4 and Henry Cavill's exit from the show.

Season 3 has yet to air on the streaming service, but already we have confirmation that for Season 4, Cavill is set to be replaced as titular monster-hunter Geralt of Rivia by Liam Hemsworth, most famous for playing Gale Hawthorne in The Hunger Games movie series.

Cavill, who recently announced his return to the role of Superman for DC, issued a statement praising his replacement:

"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," Cavill said.

"In my stead, the fantastic Mr. Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf. As with the greatest of literary characters, 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. Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find."

Hemsworth returned the compliment in a statement of his own:

"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.

"Henry, I've been a fan of yours for years and was inspired by what you brought to this beloved character. I may have some big boots to fill, but I'm truly excited to be stepping into The Witcher world."

The Witcher, which debuted December 2019, is a smash hit for Netflix, and Cavill has enjoyed enormous popularity as star of the show.

This week, Cavill discussed his return to the role of Superman during a live recording of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, as reported by Variety.

"The character means so much to me. It's been five years now. I never gave up hope," Cavill said.

"It's amazing to be here now talking about it again. There is such a bright future ahead for the character. I'm so excited to tell a story with an enormously joyful Superman."

While there's no release window for the next Superman movie, Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson has said he's determined to make a film in which Black Adam and Superman fight.

As for The Witcher, spin-off Blood Origin, which explores the creation of the first prototype Witcher, launches on Netflix 25th December, with The Witcher Season 3 due out summer 2023.