Liam Hemsworth is finally breaking his silence about taking over as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s The Witcher. The actor steps into the role for Season 4, premiering Oct. 30, after Henry Cavill’s exit in 2022.

Hemsworth admitted that he deliberately pulled away from online chatter after the casting was announced. “There was quite a bit of noise, and I had to put that aside. It started to become a distraction,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “I dealt with that sort of thing in the past a lot, and, you know, at the end of the day, I love making movies, and I love telling stories and acting. I just don’t want any of that to affect my way of telling the story that I’m trying to tell.”

The actor revealed he “jumped off social media and the internet for most of last year” as he prepared to assume the mantle from Cavill, who had played Geralt for the show’s first three seasons. Cavill had signed a short-term deal and opted to move on due to the demanding shoot schedule and overseas locations.

When news of Liam Hemsworth’s casting broke, Cavill publicly endorsed his replacement, calling him “fantastic”. In a statement, he added, “As with the greatest of literary characters, I pass the torch with reverence for the time spent embodying Geralt and enthusiasm to see Liam’s take on this most fascinating and nuanced of men. Liam, good sir, this character has such a wonderful depth to him; enjoy diving in and seeing what you can find.”

Netflix has already renewed The Witcher for a fifth and final season, which will follow directly after Season 4.