Liam Hemsworth made news recently as he took on the role of The Witcher’s Geralt of Rivia. Fans were not happy about Henry Cavill being replaced, but this seems to be just one reason among a career filled with controversy and mishaps.
Here are seven plausible reasons why Hollywood and their film producers are staying away from Liam Hemsworth.
1. Liam Hemsworth Falls Under the Shadow of Brother Chris Hemsworth
Liam Hemsworth is often referred to as a Hemsworth brother, particularly MCU star Chris Hemsworth’s brother. The harsh reality of the industry is that he was always viewed as the little brother to the massive legacy of the Thor star. Comparing Chris Hemsworth’s star power at the box office to Liam Hemsworth’s has resulted in expectations that the little brother has not been able to live up to.
Happy birthday @chrishemsworth I remember the first time I ever threw a knife at your head, there was this look of pure fear in your eyes. You’ve come a long way from that scared little kid…proud of you. You’re my hero. Love u heaps and heaps. pic.twitter.com/FlMszHe5gv
A fun fact is that Liam Hemsworth auditioned for the role of Thor before it went to Chris Hemsworth, with Liam stating, “better Chris than someone else” (via ComicBookMovie.com)
2. Liam Hemsworth’s Lead Role Films Do Not Take Off
Liam Hemsworth was given the lead role opportunity in multiple films throughout his career, but unfortunately, they weren’t enough to kick-start his stardom. According to Koimoi, he has played the leading role in ten films, which have collectively grossed $474.5 million worldwide at the box office. Here is a list of films in which he notably played the lead.
The most recent Land of Bad saw Hemsworth team up with industry heavy-weight Russel Crowe, who was in a supporting role. The action thriller only grossed $7 million against a production budget of almost $25 million. (via IMDb)
3. Liam Hemsworth’s Filmography Is a Box Office Disaster
Liam Hemsworth’s only hit in the past decade is The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, where he played Jennifer Lawrence’s love interest. Apart from that, it appears that most of his recent films have performed quite poorly. Here is a list of a few of them, along with their budgets.
With a string of box office failures, it’s not surprising that Liam Hemsworth’s last hope for redemption is Netflix’s The Witcher, but even that appears to be a double-edged sword for the actor.
4. Liam Hemsworth’s The Witcher Role Is Mired In Controversy
Liam Hemsworth is now Geralt of Rivia, a role that fans are completely against the actor taking over from Henry Cavill’s Geralt by the looks of it.
I saw the Witcher new season 4 trailer hes so ugly and bad he doesnt look or act like Geralt all this is Liam Hemsworth with a costume put on him he will never be a good Geralt of rivia no matter what how much he tries to Netflix you will never get the Witcher fans back just stop pic.twitter.com/9SV3hSGzTD
This is from Netflix's own website. Apparently they're also in denial about Liam Hemsworth taking over for Henry Cavill as Geralt for The Witcher Season 4… pic.twitter.com/buuYyEoTgg
After the announcement that Hemsworth would replace Cavill, the backlash was swift and brutal, causing the actor to go off the radar. Many fans on YouTube were quick to comment on all The Witcher Season 4 videos released, claiming “This will flop,” and “Boycott this”.
The casting of Hemsworth in an established franchise proves the damage that recasting can do to a fanbase (particularly video game nerds).
5. Liam Hemsworth’s Limited Acting Range Is a General Consensus
Liam Hemsworth has never been praised for his acting skills, but more for his pretty face, much like Chris Hemsworth. The Hollywood actor’s films have often been panned by critics who have criticised his acting range as being limited. The Gamer has said that:
This is a man who has adequate acting ability and an attractive face in that standard Hollywood way that does it for teenagers and just about nobody else…
Fans have noted that his acting even ruined scenes from The Hunger Games that needed more emotional depth, equating his expressions to being flat.
This pattern of negative reviews for his films, whether lead or not, has added to his negative reception in Hollywood.
6. Liam Hemsworth Has a Lack of Chemistry With His Co-Stars
Liam Hemsworth has always had nil chemistry with most of his co-stars, as he plays a romantic interest in their lives. Critics’ reviews of Lonely Planet paint the real picture, with Jen Yamato of The Washington Post stating, “this lethargic romantic drama forces chemistry where there is none…” Here are more details about the film.
Ed Power from The Telegraph talked about the Lonely Planet leads in his review (via Yahoo):
Like two magnets repelling each other, they spend the film in a wary orbit. Dern had more in common with the mound of dinosaur poo in Jurassic Park.
Liam Hemsworth’s Gale was also brought under scrutiny for The Hunger Games as he is caught in a love triangle between Katniss, Peeta, and himself. Critic Roger Moore stated in his review that Katniss had zero chemistry with co-star Liam Hemsworth.
7. Liam Hemsworth Has a Controversial Personal Life
Liam Hemsworth had a messy and high-profile divorce with singer/actor Miley Cyrus, and multiple tabloids covered the entire proceeding. The relationship came under scrutiny, with speculation about infidelity after the release of Miley Cyrus’ hit song Flowers that referenced Hemsworth’s infidelity with over 14 women in their shared home.
"I don't like people calling me Miley Cyrus's ex."
– Thor’s brother, Liam Hemsworth pic.twitter.com/zjXak7ubA1
🚨Miley Cyrus reveals in a new interview that her ex (Liam Hemsworth) used to mock her, saying that she would never get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, never win a Grammy, and would never be nominated for or even invited to the Oscars. https://t.co/V40rxG39qq
TMZ reported that Miley wanted to save their marriage, but “the dealbreaker was that Liam was drinking a lot and using certain drugs”. With so many tabloids and websites reporting Liam Hemsworth’s toxic behavior towards Miley Cyrus, his professional life took a big hit.
The combination of all the reasons stated above has increased the industry’s resistance to casting Hemsworth in films, and it looks like The Witcher might be his last shot.
What do you think of Liam Hemsworth? Let us know in the comments.
