After stepping out of two iconic roles in recent weeks, Hollywood star Henry Cavill has yet another high-profile role lined up at Amazon, being attached to the studio’s Warhammer 40k series adaptation. The news comes as Amazon nears closing on the IP after months of negotiation and bidding against other interests.
A finalized offshoot of 1983’s Warhammer Fantasy Battle, Warhammer 40k is the world’s most popular miniature wargame, a tabletop experience characterized by the use of several detailed miniature figures and large-scale maps or sets. Set in the distant future of the 42nd millennium, the game pits several brutal factions against one another in a dark sci-fi dystopian universe with even darker fantasy elements, featuring everything from formerly human supersoldiers to actual demons and even fallen deities. The game is particularly popular in the UK, with British actor Henry Cavill being such a fan of the game that he was added in as an easter egg to a video game adaptation as DLC.
Now it seems that Cavill is set to make an even bigger impact on the Warhammer franchise as reports confirm that he’s been picked to star in and serve as an executive producer on a Warhammer 40k live-action series adaptation at Amazon, just days after confirming that he would not be returning to the Superman role. While things are not yet concrete, Amazon has emerged victorious over other interested parties and is in final talks to proceed with the project. While there is no word yet on a showrunner or screenwriter being picked for the project, Vertigo Entertainment will be executive producing alongside Cavill himself.
Cavill’s involvement in the project is exciting news for everyone involved, as his celebrity status will help the IP draw in an audience larger than the game’s player base, while his attachment as an executive producer will go a long way to ensure that the property is treated with the care and understanding of a fan. With speculation suggesting that part of the reason Cavill left The Witcher was due to conflict in adapting the source material, having a greater role in the final product should help assure fans that Cavill sees the project to the end.
Cavill has previously expressed interest in just such a project, stating in 2021 that he would want to do a Warhammer TV show and earnestly hoped the opportunity would present itself. While the deal isn't set in stone just yet, Amazon has shown real interest in the adaptation and is likely to pill through with the rights, similar to the major commitment the company made to secure the rights to create The Rings of Power.
Despite the good news, some fans are still focused on the reasons behind Cavill’s departure from the role of Superman, with some laying the blame on James Gunn, who also recently canceled Wonder Woman 3 amidst large-scale restructuring of the DCEU. Whether or not these radical changes will work for the better remain to be seen.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter