Former Superman Henry Cavill is well-known for his geek-tendencies, which include being an avid fan of miniature wargaming, specifically Warhammer 40k. The one-time Witcher is now all set to headline a live-action series of the beloved tabletop game, with a new report from behind-the-scenes revealing just how committed he is to getting this epic sci-fi action saga just right. And perhaps not repeating the mistakes some felt were made when bringing a different beloved property to screens with Cavill in the lead.
A miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop and hailing from Britain, Warhammer 40,000 (aka, Warhammer 40k) is ripe for an adaptation. Set in the 41st Millennium, where human civilization is under siege by hostile aliens and supernatural creatures, the grim darkness of the far future offers only war. Warring factions from ancient civilizations and upstart empires fight endless battles across innumerable worlds, with humanity standing alone, beset on all sides by the heretic, the mutant, and the alien. Yes, it really does have everything you could possibly need to craft an epic sci-fi action show.
And crafting an epic sci-fi action show is exactly what Henry Cavill wants to do, with the actor fighting hard to ensure that Warhammer 40k is as accurate to the popular IP as possible. According to CNews, insiders have revealed that the actor has now created a “three-strike rule” regarding how the stories and pitches for the show will come together. Striving to maintain the integrity of the Warhammer lore, Cavill has reportedly rejected suggestions that the adaptation should made “more accessible” for general audiences. This suggestion was aimed specifically at the origin of the Primarchs, a small band of genetically-engineered “transhumans” tasked with fighting for the Emperor of Mankind.
What exactly needed to be changed is unknown, but Cavill reportedly turned to “his own annotated source books” and tasked the writer in question with spending the next 48 hours studying why such changes would “unravel” the wider story. This has since become known as the actor’s “three-strike rule,” with writers expected to “have a working knowledge of the Codex material and foundational novels that define the grimdark universe,” and thus guarantee that everyone is on the same page. What the specific three-strikes are sadly remains a mystery.
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This latest update on what’s going on behind-the-scenes of Warhammer 40k comes following reports that Cavill is doing everything he can to make sure the adaptation adheres to the source material as closely as possible. The actor is clearly taking a strong position in this approach, with Cavill reportedly checking “more than 300 individual lines of dialogue, terminology, and world-building detail.”
No doubt still feeling burnt by what happened with The Witcher, with rumors from behind-the-scenes claiming that Cavill rarely saw eye to eye with the writers, the former Man of Steel is clearly determined not to make the same mistakes. And while Amazon could eventually grow tired that the project is taking so long (they acquired the adaptation rights back in 2022), they would surely suffer backlash if they made Cavill do something he doesn’t agree with.
