The Witcher experienced a major change with its fourth season thanks to the switch-up in its lead star, as it was the first season that featured Liam Hemsworth stepping into the role of Geralt. That was a result of the departure of Henry Cavill at the end of season 3, but he wasn’t the only series star who considered leaving the show. Not that star has revealed why they thought about departing and what ultimately led to their decision to stay.
While season 4 was Hemsworth’s debut season, Freya Allan has been playing the role of Ciri since the beginning. That’s why it was a surprise when Allan revealed in an interview with NME that she considered leaving the series after hearing of Cavill’s departure while filming another film. Allan only found out about Cavill leaving the day before it was publicly announced, and she had to figure out if she wanted to continue the Witcher journey with someone else in the Geralt role.
“Season three was a really difficult season for everyone,” Allan said. “I cried because I wanted to finish the show with the guy that played my adoptive father. For the first time, I was seeing what life away from The Witcher could look like and then the lead moves on…”
Allan spent a “solid amount of time” trying to figure out if she would leave, but she decided to stay so she could complete Ciri’s journey. “Once I’d made that choice, I made the most of every moment,” Allan said.
Due to Ciri not really interacting with Geralt other than visions, something from the past seasons stuck. “It was very weird,” Allan said before revealing that she pictured Cavill’s face in scenes where Ciri was thinking about Geralt. “He’s the Geralt I grew up with,” Allan said.
The Witcher season 3 had Ciri, Geralt, and Yennefer on mostly separate paths, though Geralt and Ciri still connect through several visions during the season. That likely won’t change in season 5 until a rather critical point, as Ciri is still on her own journey for a sizable part of the story that season 5 is adapting. Season 5 is already filmed and is in post-production, so next year seems likely for an eventual release.
Season 4 of The Witcher is streaming on Netflix now, and Season 5, which will be The Witcher’s final season, is expected to hit Netflix in 2026.
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