Henry Cavill’s Warhammer 40,000 is one of the most anticipated shows at the moment. The adaptation is currently in active development following a lengthy period of negotiations between Games Workshop (the studio behind the British miniature wargame that the series is based on) and Amazon MGM Studios.
The show is expected to maintain the tone and feel of the game, set in the distant future where humans battle hostile aliens and supernatural creatures. Like in other miniature wargames, players normally enact battles using toy models of warriors and fighting vehicles. The game is played on a tabletop model of a battlefield, consisting of buildings, jungles, hills, and other landscape forms, with fights being resolved using math and dice. Two third-person shooter video games also exist, available on PlayStation, Windows, and Xbox.
Amazon Almost Lost the Rights, But ‘Warhammer 40,000’ Is Now Moving Forward
A Warhammer 40,000 TV show was first announced in December 2022, followed by a period of silence. Then, in July 2024, an ultimatum appeared in a Games Workshop financial report from July 2024 stating that Amazon had until December of that year to decide on “creative guidelines” or else the rights could shift to another streamer or network. Thankfully, the worst never happened.
Later in the year, Cavill took to Instagram to announce that he, Games Workshop, and Amazon had agreed on the creative direction. Captioning an image of himself at The Little Shop in New Jersey, where he purchased his first Warhammer models, the actor promised that the wheels would be rolling soon.
For now, the project appears to be in the early pre-production stage. Cavill provided an update in mid-2025, stating that he and a team of writers had been mapping out the first phase of the game’s universe. It’s, therefore, unlikely that the show will premiere in 2026. Given the amount of work required, including the CGI and location shooting for the “grimdark” environment, a 2027 or 2028 release date looks more likely.
Who Will Be in ‘Warhammer 40,000’?
Unfortunately, Henry Cavill is the only actor confirmed to be part of the show at the moment. This is a passion project for “The Cavillrine,” so expect him to move mountains (if need be) to ensure the project is completed. He told Yahoo that he has been a Warhammer fan since he was little.
“For 30 years I have dreamt of seeing a Warhammer universe in live action. Now, after 22 years of experience in this industry, I finally feel that I have the skill set and experience to guide a Warhammer Cinematic Universe into life.”
Is Cavill the ideal person for a project of this magnitude? Most of his movies have been panned by critics, but he’s done pretty well in TV shows, so we have every reason to be excited. Cavill’s problem (sometimes by no fault of his own) is his tendency to drop out of shows and franchises before they are done. Just as fans were getting attached to him as Superman, he was gone, and just as fans were celebrating him as Geralt of Rivia, he was gone, too. Will he stick around until the franchise ends?
Cavill aside, rumors of a Tom Cruise casting circled in 2025, but they remain unconfirmed. An appearance by the Mission Impossible star is unlikely since he rarely does TV shows. Besides that, he rarely commits himself to projects that he doesn’t have total creative control over. Speculation is also high that Gary Oldman will play Malacador the Sigilite. The rumor gained momentum when the veteran actor was spotted with his sons at Warhammer World. Apparently, they’ve been big fans for a long time. Will it happen? Hopefully.
What Will the Story of ‘Warhammer 40,000’ Be?
Cavill and Amazon have a vision for Warhammer to be a major franchise, beginning with the TV series, which will introduce the dark sci-fi world. However, it’s unclear where the show’s story will begin. The Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 video game received plenty of positive reviews, with a player count surpassing six million, and the Prime Video project might tap into that.
For a start, the show could explore the popular Space Marines and other groups working under the Emperor of Mankind. Expect the Custodes (genetically-engineered transhuman male and female warriors) to be involved, too. Early in 2024, Games Workshop added several female warriors, many of whom were well-received.
It’s also possible that Prime Video’s chart-topping Secret Level anthology show, which features an episode about Warhammer 40,000, will tie into the TV show. The episode, titled “Warhammer 40,000: And They Shall Know No Fear,” was praised by both fans and critics and was nominated for several awards, including an Emmy for Outstanding Sound Editing for an Animated Program. The episode is about Sergeant Metaurus teaming up with several other Space Marines and Titus, a recruit with no fear, to retrieve a relic on a distant planet.
Fans in numerous forums have bet on the story being set during the Indomitus Era or the Horus Heresy. Many also believe the show will adapt Dan Abnett’s Eisenhorn books, in a move aimed at trimming the budget. Abnett’s stories follow an Inquisitor and feature many personal stories, thus creating much-needed breaks from the Space Marines’ battles.
In a recent Facebook post, Abnett announced that he was holding off on continuing parts of the book series because of reasons beyond his control. This suggests that the books and the show could all be set in one universe and that the author is taking a break to avoid lore clashes with the Amazon show.
“It is not my decision when Pandaemonium gets finished and published. For reasons an NDA prevents me from discussing, Bequin 3 – and some other things – are held up for a while. It’s coming – and I’ll be delighted to bring it to you – but in the meantime, try to be patient… and maybe try to enjoy the things that I am writing. This message was brought to you by peace, love, and shooty-death-kill-in-space.”
It would be wise to read the books to ensure an expert-level understanding of the upcoming series. Still, Warhammer 40,000 seems like the kind of spectacle that could be easily enjoyed by casuals, too, given the numerous battle scenes.
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