Henry Cavill could play the Emperor. But there are much better options in the Grimdark for him.
It’s no longer a secret that Henry Cavill and Amazon are teaming up with GW to make 40K stuff. Just what all this stuff is going to remain to be seen, but it’s certainly exciting. A while ago we took a look at some shows that could be made with this backing. But today I’d like to get a little more specific. One of the big questions we all have is just who, or what Cavill should play. So let us take a look at that.
5. The Emperor of Mankind
This is the option a lot of people have pushed for a long time now. And yeah, I’m sure Cavill would do a great job. There’s just one major issue that makes it a pretty bad choice. The Emperor doesn’t do anything. In 40K He just sits on the throne. Maybe he gives out visions. It’s not a role Cavill could do much with. Even in 30K the Emperor doesn’t get a lot of action or even a ton of scenes. Now maybe Cavill is looking for more of a cameo role and doesn’t want to be super involved, then this could work. But the Emperor of Mankind is just not a starring role in a major 40K series.
4. Eisenhorn
If Cavill wants a more leading role, then he could do worse then Gregor Eisenhorn. An Eisenhorn show has long been rumored to be in the works, and its titular character could be a good fit. It’s a role with a bit of nuance and maxes action and adventure. Cavill’s already played Sherlock, why not a more bloody handed investigator?
3. Gaunt
Another fan-favorite character would be Commissar Gaunt. This would be a pretty major role with Cavill really carrying the show. It’s also one with a lot to work with, Gaunt is complex, and there are a ton of stories to adapt, meaning they could keep going for a long time. Out of the 40K characters Cavill could play, Gaunt is also the most human. he’s no wizard or super-human, just a guy doing his best.
2. Guilliman
If however Cavill wants something more superior to a man, then he could not go wrong with old Guilliman. The Avenging son is a major character in 40K and there are a ton of stories about him. He’d also give Cavill some flexibility as the primarch works both as a main character in a story, or a more minor one if he wants to be less involved.
With Guilliman you could have him lead a Dark Imperium show, or be more of a supporting role in a Dawn of Fire show. Either one would showcase the current main 40K storyline. You could also have him take on a major role in a 30K show as the Primarch. Most interesting of all, do both a 40K and 30K show and get Cavill in both. Playing the Primarch 10K years apart would be a doozy.
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1. Constantine Valdor
If however, you did want to do a 30K show, then my pick for Cavill would be none other than Constantine Valdor. This character may be the perfect role for him. Unlike the Emperor, Valdor does stuff – and a lot of it. However, a lot of what he’s done has never been talked about, giving you good flexibility to tell some new stories about The Emperor’s Spear. It also allows Cavill to play as big a role as he wants, suiting how much you see Valdor to Cavill’s needs. It’s also a good fit, Valdor after all is a super-human, enhanced mutant, that looks down on a bit and is generally frustrated by the failings of mere mortals around him. With his past roles, I’m pretty sure Cavill can nail that.
Let us know who you think Cavill should play, down in the comments!
Abe is that rare thing, an Austin local born and raised here. Though he keeps on moving around, DC, Japan, ETC., he always seems to find his way back eventually. Abe has decades of experience with a wide range of tabletop and RPG games, from historicals, to Star Wars to D&D and 40K. He has been contributing to BOLS since almost the start, back when he worked at and then owned a local gaming store. He used to be big into the competitive Warhammer tournament scene but age has mellowed him and he now appreciates a good casual match. He currently covers 40K tactics and lore, as well as all things Star Wars, with occasional dabbling in other topics. Abe remains in mourning over the loss of WFB to this day.
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