Why did Liam Hemsworth take a social media break after being cast in The Witcher? Star opens up 

The Witcher on Netflix has one of the most passionate fandoms, and when Liam Hemsworth was announced and cast as Geralt of Rivia after Henry Cavill's exit, the fandom erupted online with opinions.

The Australian actor later admitted that he stepped away from social media because the noise became too much. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Hemsworth revealed that he;

"Jumped off social media and the internet most of last year..."

This was a decision to focus on his craft and avoid distractions while preparing for the role.

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A casting shake-up that changed the conversation for The Witcher moving ahead

When Henry Cavill confirmed in 2022 that he was leaving The Witcher after three seasons, the fanbase was shocked. Cavill himself addressed the change on Instagram, writing;

"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. In my stead, the fantastic Mr Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf."

Henry Cavill called Hemsworth "fantastic" and told him;

"This character has such a wonderful depth to him, enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find."

But fan reactions weren't exactly smooth. The Witcher fandom is famously protective online, and Hemsworth knew the backlash could spiral. That's why he told Entertainment Weekly he chose to step back online:

"There was quite a bit of noise and I had to put that aside. It started to become a distraction."

He admitted that while he had faced criticism in the past, he didn't want that energy to interfere with his storytelling. For him, shutting out the noise was the only way to give Geralt the attention the role deserved.

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Co-stars and creators rally behind Liam Hemsworth to share their support

Despite the online storm, Hemsworth's co-stars quickly came to his defense. Freya Allan, who returns as Ciri in Season 4 of The Witcher, openly voiced her support in a conversation with Collider. She said,

"I hope fans give him the time of day. He's been training. I feel sorry for him, honestly, because that fan base can be very attack-y, and it's not an ideal situation to be in taking up someone else's role."

She also described him as "such a lovely guy" and said she was excited to see what he brings to Geralt.

Behind the scenes, producers also addressed Cavill's departure. Reports noted his contract was always short-term, with long shoots and heavy production schedules eventually pushing him to move on.

Showrunner Lauren Hissrich also told Entertainment Weekly that Cavill was interested in taking up other roles, and Netflix had booked in Liam Hemsworth for Season 4 as well as the renewed Season 5 of The Witcher. It is also confirmed that Season 5 will be the end of the Netflix series.

And as for Liam Hemsworth, all this meant more reason to keep himself away from the internet and pour his heart out into training, doing some sword work, and understanding the source material i.e., the books, without online distractions pulling him away from getting his job done right.

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Liam Hemsworth's own choice to walk away from social media after being cast in The Witcher wasn't about ignoring the fandom but rather more about protecting his own craft and peace while preparing for the role of Geralt of Rivia.

With Cavill's blessing, the support of his co-stars, and the weight of leading the show through its final two seasons, Hemsworth decided to focus over internet chatter.

By silencing the online chatter, he gave himself space to step into Geralt's boots with full commitment and now, all eyes are on what he'll bring to the Continent.

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