Henry Cavill and Warhammer 40k. Two names that increasingly go together in the minds and mouths of Warhammer fans across the globe. The British actor, known for roles like Superman and The Witcher’s Geralt of Rivia, has made no secret of his love for every aspect of the game, from painting to lore. This has cemented him as the most prominent ambassador for the hobby.
Celebrities don’t often step across into the world of tiny plastic figures being shuffled about on tabletops, at least not publicly, so it’s no wonder fans have sat up and taken notice. Now come with us as we take a journey through Henry Cavill’s Warhammer fandom and celebrate one of the world’s most famous nerds.
Henry Cavill and Warhammer 40k
At this point, there’s no doubt that Henry Cavill is one of us. One of the first big stories about the Man of Steel actor was that he almost missed the phone call letting him know he’d got the Superman role, due to being deep in a World of Warcraft raid. Cavill has always had a strong love for PC gaming, but naturally it’s his Warhammer 40k appreciation that has helped him become so beloved to so many Warhammer fans.
Cavill’s love affair with Warhammer, at least in the public eye, emerged during the lockdown of 2020. Many of us rediscovered old hobbies during this period, or developed new ones, and Hollywood stars were no different. In a post on Instagram, Cavill spoke about picking up the paintbrush once again to improve his Warhammer painting skills. He also revealed his long-held love of Warhammer lore. Though he has never played Age of Sigmar, Henry Cavill has made it clear that he’s a firm fan of every aspect of Warhammer 40k.
From there, it all took off. Henry Cavill went on to experience a conversation that felt familiar to many of us when he appeared on the Graham Norton show in 2021. Who hasn’t been at the end of a grilling by someone outside the hobby, causing no end of embarrassment? Cavill handled the questions about painting “World of War Craft” with grace, causing many viewers to speak up on social media in defence of both the hobby and the actor. This Warhammer chat with Graham Norton did also bring the hobby to the attention of Tom Holland who noted that Henry Cavill’s description sounded amazing.
In the months and years that followed this, Henry Cavill has become increasingly entwined with Warhammer. He posted a picture of him on a jet reading Penitent by Dan Abnett, made a little reference to an alternate name for the Emperor of Mankind, and shared one of his most recently completed models – a golden Custodes he painted using Adrian Smith’s famous artwork as inspiration.
February of 2022 brought Henry Cavill on a pilgrimage to that most holy of Warhammer sites, Warhammer World in Nottingham. Whilst there he took the time to answer questions and pose for selfies with the surprised Warhammer fans. Even Games Workshop staff got in on the action, and who can blame them?
Now that his love for Warhammer 40k is out in the open, the wider fandom has taken notice. Henry Cavill has been immortalised by one hobbyist in Warhammer form. Titled ‘Heinrich Cavillius’ this Adeptus Custodes figure represents around 100 hours of work for Warhammer fan Simon Cook. In addition to this figure, Cavill is available as a High Elf hero in Total War: Warhammer 2 DLC. As Cavill’s a fan of PC gaming and the Total War series in particular, we think this is an excellent fit.
What next for Henry Cavill and Warhammer?
It’s impossible to tell exactly where Henry Cavill’s Warhammer 40k fandom will take him next, but there are a few hints at what the future may hold.
While promoting The Witcher, Cavill mentioned that ideally he’d love to star in a Warhammer 40k TV programme, if there were one developed. He reiterated his love for the game’s setting but noted that there would be a small conundrum for him if he were to be cast: he can only play one character. With so many rich, intriguing characters to choose from in the Warhammer 40k setting, limiting himself to just one is a troublesome quandary. Suggestions such as a Primarch or Gregor Eisenhorn have been made, but the only thing Henry Cavill has had to say so far is that he’ll have to “talk to Games Workshop”.
Our 2022 April fools story, which hoodwinked much of the Warhammer internet, had Cavill playing the Emperor in an open-world RPG by Dark Soul’s creator FromSoftware. In case you’ve seen that floating around the interwebs, let us quickly confirm that, yes, we were having you on. Sorry.
The only other titbit we can share right now regards other celebrities following Cavill’s footsteps and getting into Warhammer 40k, such as Rahul Kohli of Midnight Mass, Haunting of Bly Manor, and iZombie fame. Kohli recently posted a picture comparing himself holding a Warhammer model to a similar image of Henry Cavill, so perhaps a tabletop battle between the two celebs is on the cards.
Source: Wargamer
