Cavill’s Warhammer Dream at Risk

If you’re someone who finds schadenfreude enjoyable, it’s been a hell of a ride watching Henry Cavill’s career. Despite riding high on a wave of popularity and fan love, Cavill seems to be a guy who can’t catch a damn break.

Let’s recap his career’s missteps, which read like a list of doomed leads in a Thomas Hardy novel. First, Cavill’s run as Superman came crashing down. A change of heart or a sudden epiphany made director Gunn swap Cavill out for David Corenswet. Next, came Cavill’s stint in The Witcher, which ended quite painfully, with a Hemsworth (yes, Liam, from the Hemsworth acting dynasty) stealing his spot. Not the kind of kill streak you want on your professional gaming console.

And then there was Argylle – Cavill’s latest project, which bombed with the finesse of a custard pie in a slapstick routine. Still, Cavill’s career isn’t quite circling the drain yet. He counts among his successes, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. But lest we get too carried away praising Cavill, remember, this was Guy Ritchie’s baby, Cavill just held the forceps.

From the Battlefront to the Big Screen

Cavill, an avowed gaming enthusiast, has been toying with the idea of bringing the esteemed Warhammer game series to the small and big screens. If successful, Amazon would take distribution rights, serving up this new TV series and film to eager game-and-film nerds worldwide. Made sense. After all, who wouldn’t embrace the idea of a popular gaming franchise getting the multi-million-dollar Hollywood treatment?

Suffice it to say, Cavill was over the moon at the proposition. Let me quote the lad:

“The greatest privilege of my professional career… to bring it to the screen… this is what I’ve imagined since I was a kid. No greater reason than to join the industry …”

If enthusiasm could churn out movies, Cavill would’ve given Spielberg a run for his billions. The Amazon deal was underway, and then…silence. No news. From anyone. With Cavill kicked off both the DCU and The Witcher franchises, fans’ paternal instinct kicked into overdrive.

A Series (and Film) on the Brink

Games Workshop, the masterminds behind the Warhammer franchise, partnered with Amazon in December 2023, drafting “creative guidelines” for this ambitious project. But the clock is ticking, and time waits for no man, not even Superman. The deadline is in December 2024, and Games Workshop won’t move a muscle unless they and Amazon see eye-to-eye on these guidelines.

Cavill, once giddy at the prospect of this Warhammer adaptation, now finds his childhood dream dangle on the edge of an abyss. To quote Cavill again:

“I have loved Warhammer since I was a boy … One step closer to making a nigh-on lifelong dream come true…”

One can’t help but wonder how long he’s been anchored in that ‘one step’. As the deadline looms, the specter of another failed project hovers ominously over Cavill’s career.

In the meanwhile, Cavill’s faithful following waits with bated breath for updates, gnawing on their collective fingernails. Here’s hoping the next news we hear isn’t an epitaph for this beloved project. Any contributions to the rumor mill? Feel free to spill the tea in the comments.