That Warhammer 40,000 is one of those IPs with a legion of fans under its banner is no secret. And now that we know of the existence of a series from the gloomy universe where there is only war that Henry Cavill will star in, -and that he will also produce- one can only hope that there will be an important recruitment in the ranks of the fandom of the universe created by Games Workshop, and that it has been the flagship of tabletop strategy games for three decades.
Superman “has died”, in a way, after the way Warner decided to kiptonite his plans with Henry Cavill, but he can be reborn as a primarch, as a lord of chaos, as an inquisitor, at the head of a “Waaaaaaghh!” orko … The possibilities, like the universe itself where the series will take place, are innumerable, and after the splendid work of the actor, fond of a good part of popular culture and videogames, embodying one of his favorites -Geralt de Rivia in The Witcher, fans of Warhammer 40,000 are as eager as a company of Special Wolves before facing a horde ofTraitor Astartes of the 1,000 Sons.
But it’s not enough to rely on whoever Geralt or the Man of Steel was in other universes and media. No, Warhammer 40,000 is not a universe centered around a handful of singular personalities or figures; It is one in which the human condition has always been explored, its virtues most overshadowed by its most aberrant defects, and always in a visceral, cold, and paradoxically at the same time, literary and poetic way.
In the Warhammer 40,000 series, there can be not only war
Looking back at what more than 30 years of stories in print, board game editions, video games, and thousands of multimedia projects have brought to Warhammer 40,000, I realize that this universe is compelling not only for its brutality and frenzy, but also for its brutality and frenzy. but because of their stories and the moral debates that all their characters face. It is heresy -in the terminology of the Empire that I hope will be used in the dialogues- to believe that it will be enough for Henry Cavill to appear surrounded by enemies and distributing tow for the series to succeed.
In the Warhammer 40,000 universe there have been more stories apart from the great battles that have shaped this cruel reality; stories of political intrigue, of religious debacle, of silent heroes and villains whose acts have prevented or caused the greatest disasters that humanity or the other races that inhabit the galaxy have had to face.
In fact, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think that Amazon and GW hope to focus the series -and it would be interesting for 40K connoisseurs and newcomers alike- on some figure that responds to that archetype. One of the favorite characters of the fandom (and of the actor himself) and for which Cavill gives the profile, would be the Inquisitor Eisenhorn. As grim as he is, he is someone I can see played perfectly by the artist.
There are even indications that this could be the setting and the chosen period that the series would bring to our screens. A little less than a year ago, the British digital media Nottinghamshire echoed how Games Workshop advanced that the details of the pre-production of the TV series centered on the inquisitor were progressing. It would not focus on those epic and bombastic fights of the great conflicts, but for that reason they would not exhibit less gravity, brutality or emotional charge than those we see in series like The Boys, Invincible or Battlestar Galactica.
But the truth is that there is still no confirmation of what period of the 40K background the series will be located in, or who will accompany Cavill. Another possible scenario that many fans would like to see -at least me- with flesh and blood actors is the story of the Horus Heresy. A series centered on the figure of the arch traitor Horus played by the previous Geralt of Rivia would be perfect to introduce many laymen to the universe of Warhammer 40,000. And honestly, Cavill as Horus would also be Homeric.
Henry Cavill can not be alone in this series
Of course, other greats of the screen should accompany him, either to play part of Eisenhorn’s entourage, or to embody one of the many prominent figures in the tale of Horus or the various xenos races. To give some examples and pools, Anya Taylor-Joy as Aelizabeth Bequin or maybe some Eldar seer? James Spader as Uber Aemos or Iterator Kyril Cynderman? Idris Elba as Midas Betancore or as Primarch Vulkan of the Legion of Salamanders? Jason Isaacs as Godwin Fischig or maybe some captain of the Legions?
Naturally these predictions are castles in the air of a fan of this universe, but the point is that what Amazon has in its hands is important: the first foray of Warhammer 40,000 on television can be decisive for the growth in popularity of the franchise and a much-needed boost in order to get out of their comfort zone of board games, novels and video games.
While there have been other attempts, such as 2010’s low-key 3D-animated film Ultramarines starring Terence Stamp and the late though immortal John Hurt as leads, this is a much better project on the horizon. As they say in Sacred Terra, the Emperor will provide, and for those who are involved in the project, for the mere fact of being fans, and for the endless range of characters, conflicts and situations that have been reported and are to be reported in the gloomy future where there is only war, I think this series will be another great milestone in film and TV adaptations of great games and universes of popular culture of hobbies.
