By Dexerto | Created at 2026-06-17 13:53:38 | Updated at 2026-06-20 15:27:49
3 days ago
Doug Cockle, who has voiced the titular Witcher in all the mainline games and various other projects, has praised Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt of Rivia as “more energized,” while saying Henry Cavill’s performance had more “weight” to it.
Henry Cavill controversially left Netflix’s Witcher TV show after Season 3, and then Liam Hemsworth stepped in. We had a full season of Hemsworth with Season 4 last year, and then the show wraps up with Season 5 later in 2026.
In an interview with Polygon, Doug Cockle praised Hemsworth for taking over from Cavill’s beloved interpretation.
Doug Cockle says Liam Hemsworth’s Geralt was “more energized”
Netflix“It’s tough to do what [Hemsworth] did. Really, really tough, especially with a character in a show that so many people adore,” said Cockle. “To be the actor replacing someone else who originated a character in the same series is so difficult.”
While he said both Hemsworth and Cavill were “awesome witchers,” he explained how the two performances differed: “I find that Henry’s performance has a little bit more weight to it and Liam’s is a little bit more energized and actually kind of youthful, but in a fun way.”
He said it’s no different to how iconic roles like Hamlet have been played by many actors over the years. “Every actor has to make a role their own. There have been thousands of people who’ve played Hamlet, and each Hamlet is different,” he explained. “Every individual brings their own quirks, emotional life, experiences, and ideas to the table and interprets the character through all of that.”
There’s plenty for Witcher fans to look forward to, as not only does Season 5 drop later in 2026, but The Witcher 3 is getting a brand-new expansion next year, titled “Songs of the Past.” And of course, The Witcher 4 is in development.
