Praise the Emperor, and even the Chaos Gods, because Henry Cavill might be about to get his dream project, a TV series set in the Warhammer 40K universe. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Amazon is looking to close a deal with Games Workshop — the company that owns 40K — to develop a show set in their grimdark universe.
What’s even more exciting, though, is that they want Henry Cavill to star in and produce the sci-fi series. It’s basically the perfect job for Cavill, who’s a huge fan of 40K, and he’s regularly spoken about his passion for the game, which involves building, painting and battling miniature armies on a table-top.
Cavill recently announced that he was quitting his hit Netflix series The Witcher, and many people presumed this was because he was going to make a new Superman movie. Indeed, we saw Cavill’s Man of Steel at the end of Black Adam. Unfortunately, recent comments from DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn have made clear they’re rebooting Superman and that Cavill is out.
“Peter [Safran] and I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn’t be more over-the-moon about; we’ll be able to share some exciting information about our first projects at the beginning of the new year,” Gunn tweeted. “Among those on the slate is Superman. In the initial stages, our story will focus on an earlier part of Superman’s life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill.”
In response, Cavill shared a statement where he admitted it was difficult to hang up his cape but that he wished Gunn and Safran luck with their new universe of DC movies.
“I have just had a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran, and it’s sad news, everyone. I will, after all, not be returning as Superman,” Cavill wrote. “After being told by the studio to announce my return back in October, prior to their hire, this news isn’t the easiest, but that’s life. The changing of the guard is something that happens. I respect that. James and Peter have a universe to build. I wish them and all involved with the new universe the best of luck and the happiest of fortunes.”
No writers or directors are currently attached to the 40k TV series. Warhammer 40K is set in a dystopian future where humanity, led by an enigmatic figure known as the Emperor, has spread across the galaxy like a plague establishing an interplanetary empire known as the Imperium.
However, when the Emperor is killed by his traitorous son, the Imperium starts to rot from within, becoming a bloated bureaucratic, fascist state. Under near-constant attack by Xenos, cultists, and dark forces known as the Chaos Gods, humanity’s last hope is the Emperor’s angels, the Space Marines.
Could Cavill be playing a Space Marine? Or might he be one of the Imperium’s notorious Inquisitors? It’s fun to speculate, but we’ve no concrete details right now. What we do know is that you can watch Cavill next in The Witcher season 3, and if you’re looking for more great fantasy series to watch, we have a guide to the House of the Dragon season 2 release date. Or, to learn more about the 40K universe take a look at this guide to what is Warhammer 40k?