"Geralt from IKEA": Viewers Horrified by The Witcher Season 4 Trailer

Contents:
As soon as viewers caught a glimpse of the monster hunter's latest adventures, social media exploded with comments like "What a disaster," "The Witcher has lost its way," and "IKEA Geralt."

The reason's simple: instead of Henry Cavill, who played the White Wolf in the first three seasons, Liam Hemsworth is now taking on Geralt (seriously, Netflix?).

For fans, it's almost like replacing Johnny Depp in "Pirates of the Caribbean" with someone else—say, DiCaprio. Sure, the replacement actors are talented, but they're completely wrong for franchises beloved by millions of fans.
The Witcher Season 4 Trailer

What Viewers Are Saying

In comments under the video on Netflix's YouTube channel, many are jokingly calling the show a "Thor" multiverse (reminder: Liam's the brother of Chris Hemsworth, who played Thor in Marvel films):
  • "IKEA Geralt"
  • "Now he looks more like a Texas cowboy"
  • "Without Cavill, the show's like "Pirates of the Caribbean" without Jack Sparrow"
  • "You can bring in every famous actor you want, but it won't save the show"
They're saying Hemsworth has too much of a "soft aura" and friendly expressions—while Geralt, no matter how you slice it, should be cold, cynical, and weary of life.
Actor Liam Hemsworth with long white hair in black chainmail
Frames from The Witcher Season 4 Trailer
Source:
Even those who tried staying loyal to the show admit: "Deep down, I hoped this would be tolerable. But after the trailer, it's crystal clear."

Why Henry Cavill Left the Series

The news about replacing the lead actor broke in October 2022. But it wasn't because Henry got tired of the character. No, he never hid his love for "The Witcher" — both the books and the games. But he and the showrunners clearly had different visions for the story.

He said more than once that he wanted to see more of the book's Geralt in the series, not what the writers came up with.

"I tried to find a balance between their vision and love for the source material," the actor told Philippine Star.
Actor Henry Cavill with long white hair wearing black clothing
Henry Cavill as Geralt in The Witcher season one trailer
Source:
When that balance finally disappeared, Cavill walked. In his farewell post, he wrote that he was "passing the torch with respect and hope that Liam will handle the role." But fans read it as a polite "I'm leaving because I can't watch what you're doing to this story."

Is It Worth Watching

Honestly — depends on what you're looking for. If you want to see Cavill, better rewatch the first three seasons. If you're curious how Hemsworth handles the role — you can give the series a shot when it drops on Netflix October 30.

At the end of the day, an actor should be judged by their performance, not their look in a trailer. But be ready: this "new Witcher" will be different. Less charisma, less darkness, less gravelly voice. And earlier at zoomboola.com we talked about all the positives of the new Tron with Jared Leto that critics trashed. It's got a shot at becoming cult.