Will there be a season four of The Witcher? You don’t need to be the truest of Witcher fans to know that a fourth season is on its way.
Anticipation for the next instalment increased when the news of Henry Cavill stepping down as Geralt broke, and there has been a huge amount of chatter since Liam Hemsworth was confirmed as Geralt mark two, as part of Witcher‘s season four cast list. Ergo, there will definitely be another season.
When asked what his hopes were for the next instalment in The Witcher franchise, Batey told Metro.co.uk: “There’s a thing called the hanza, which I’m looking forward to exploring. It’s a bit of a fan-favourite moment I think.”
Those wedded to The Witcher beyond the Netflix show will know of Dandelion, Milva, Cahir, Regis and Angoulême. The group commit themselves to Geralt’s cause to rescue Ciri (Freya Allan).
In perhaps even more exciting news, season five has also been confirmed (more on that below).
However, that arguably pales in comparison to the news that Matrix and John Wick star Laurence Fishburne will be joining the cast in season four.
With the new season (and more new characters, we hope) comes a multitude of new storylines to enjoy. Joey Batey, who plays Jaskier, has all but confirmed that season four has something very special in store.
First things first though – when will fans be able to get their hands on season four? Here’s everything we know about The Witcher‘s fourth season.
However, that arguably pales in comparison to the news that Matrix and John Wick star Laurence Fishburne will be joining the cast in season four.
With the new season (and more new characters, we hope) comes a multitude of new storylines to enjoy. Joey Batey, who plays Jaskier, has all but confirmed that season four has something very special in store.
First things first though – when will fans be able to get their hands on season four? Here’s everything we know about The Witcher‘s fourth season.
Witcher season 4 potential release date: When might new episodes be coming?
Season four of The Witcher is due to start filming in March 2024 and last until October 2024, according to Redanian Intelligence, so with post-production edits to be made following the season’s wrap, we would expect an early 2025 release date.
Production was originally scheduled to start in May 2023 with the show’s casting director Sophie Holland confirming (via Deadline): “We’re just about to start filming on season four with Liam Hemsworth… There will be a short gap then we go straight into season five.”
However, things became pretty eventful in May – most namely the WGA (Writers Guild of America) writers’ strike which began around the same time as Holland’s announcement.
It was then followed by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) actors’ strike which started in early July 2023.
The production of many shows and movies came to a grinding halt, but both unions made a deal with the studios before the end of 2023.
The Witcher fans will no doubt be pleased to have a production schedule to work with, but will just have to sit tight and wait for more news for a confirmed release date.
Who will play The Witcher’s Geralt in season 4?
As previously mentioned, season four’s confirmation from Netflix came with the news of Henry Cavill’s departure from the project.
His replacement was confirmed right away, and Cavill’s final scenes pave the way for Liam Hemsworth to take the sword as the new White Wolf.
“As a Witcher fan, I’m over the moon about the opportunity to play Geralt of Rivia,” Hemsworth said when the news broke. “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.”
Speaking of the transition from Cavill to Hemsworth, The Witcher‘s executive producer Steve Gaub told Radio Times: “I think, holistically, Henry gave us an incredible three seasons of Geralt but there’s been so many franchises that have had really strong title characters and eventually, for whatever reason, personal decision or, or just the length of time-frame, the title character changes actors.”
He went on to remind those concerned that “you always have the strength of the property to lean into and we’re trusting that the world of The Witcher, the continent, the IP [intellectual property] itself is what is drawing a lot of fans”.
The creators have already begun to tease how Hemsworth’s debut will come about and, sorry fans, it has nothing to do with multiversal worlds.
So no, a portal won’t randomly spit out a different Geralt.
According to the show’s executive producer Tomasz Baginski, it will lean heavily on the events that take place in Sapkowski’s fifth book, ‘The Lady of The Lake’.
“Suddenly, at the beginning of the book, we learn that everything we’ve read so far might not have been true,” Baginski revealed during an interview with Wyborcza (via Redanian Intelligence).
In the book, the events that we’ve come to know have been shared across the continent as the story of “the witcher, the sorceress, and the princess”.
The countless retellings of the story meant that details of what Geralt looks like became altered, allowing for different interpretations based on each retelling.
“It turns out that we can jump forward and backward in this narrative, change the context of what happened, etc. I see what’s happening among the fans and how rigidly they interpret what The Witcher is. But the truth is, the ways of interpretation can vary widely,” he went on to explain.
“Many book readers forget what Andrzej Sapkowski did in the fifth volume of the saga,” Baginski said. “For me, this is one of the most important things in the whole story. I’m not talking about specific events, but the narrative framework that was introduced in this book.”
He added: “And this cannot be compared with, for example, the currently popular concept of the multiverse, where out of nowhere there are many different realities.”
Many were wondering whether Hemsworth might pop up at the very end of season three part two, but sadly it was not so. Instead, we’ll all have to wait a while to catch a glimpse of the new-look Geralt.
Elsewhere in the cast, Laurence Fishburne will make his debut in season four as Regis, who Netflix described as “a world-wise Barber-surgeon with a mysterious past.”
In the same statement, Fishburne said: “I’m very excited to be joining the cast and look forward to exploring the wondrous world of The Witcher.“
Meanwhile, Freya Allan will reprise her role as Princess Ciri, alongside Anya Chalotra as Yennefer, Joey Batey as Jaskier, Christelle Elwin as Mistle, Juliette Alexandra as Reef, Ben Radcliffe as Giselher and Connor Crawford as Asse.
Sharing which storyline from the books she’s excited to see play out on screen in season four, Chalotra told us: “Ciri and the Rats. I’m excited to see that for her, for Ciri, for Freya. I know she is, too. I’ve met the Rats. They’re brilliant and what they’re going to bring to The Witcher, I can’t wait for the fans to see.”
Witcher season 4 trailer: Can I watch it?
Sadly not. Given that filming has not started it’s way too early for any footage of the future seasons to be available just yet.