Henry Cavill as Geralt in The Witcher and as Superman in the DCEU in front of a fiery backgroundHenry Cavill as Wolverine in Deadpool & Wolverine and as Superman in Justice LeagueHenry-Cavill-The-ministry-of-Ungentlemanly-Warfare-ArgylleHenry Cavill in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Although Henry Cavill has a number of big and exciting projects coming up in the future, there is only one franchise that can truly save the actor from his streak of bad movies in 2024. The past few years have seen quite a bit of change for Henry Cavill. While he rose to fame for his role as Clark Kent aka Superman in Man of Steel, Cavill collected a variety of other huge roles in the intervening years, including Geralt in Netflix’s The Witcher and Sherlock Holmes in Enola Holmes. Some Henry Cavill roles turned out better than others.

In just the last year or two, Cavill has lost two of his most pivotal roles: Superman and Geralt. In 2022, Cavill announced his exit from The Witcher after season 3. Though it isn’t entirely clear why Cavill left, it seems that there were creative differences that pushed the actor to leave the role, despite his passion for it. Soon after, Cavill was booted from being Superman as Zack Snyder prepared to create an entirely new set of movies starring David Corenswet. Thus, Cavill was free to pursue new projects in 2024, but not all of them were hits.

Henry Cavill as Geralt in The Witcher and as Superman in the DCEU in front of a fiery background

Henry Cavill’s 2024 Wasn’t A Career Highlight

Why Cavill’s Movies Haven’t Been Doing Well

Unfortunately, Henry Cavill’s most recent movies have not performed as well as his previous projects. At the start of 2024, Cavill starred in Matthew Vaughn’s spy action film, ArgylleOn a budget of $200 million, the movie only grossed $96 million at the box office. Furthermore, it earned a pretty disappointing Rotten Tomatoes score, at 33%. Argylle’s box office bomb was particularly difficult because the movie could have been a big hit. With a star-studded cast and a unique premise, the film could have been another Matthew Vaughn success. However, it ended up being a notable 2024 flop.

Cavill’s next movie of the year was The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. This Guy Ritchie action movie followed a fictionalized version of the real life Operation Postmaster during World War II. Cavill played Gus March-Phillips. Once again, this movie did perform as well as it could have. On a rather small budget of $60 million, the movie made a mere $27 million at the box office. Its Rotten Tomatoes score is quite a bit higher, at 69%, but not enough to save the movie from box office disappointment. This was yet another Cavill movie that got swept under the rug.

While it certainly isn’t Cavill’s fault that these movies were not appealing enough to theatergoers, their performances definitely still reflect on him and his career.

In reality, Henry Cavill’s only shining moment of this year was his cameo as Cavillrine in Deadpool & Wolverine. Though he appeared for less than a minute, the inclusion of Cavill in the movie was incredibly smart and funny, especially now that Cavill is extricated from the DC Universe. Of course, Cavillrine does not make up for the actor’s other 2024 mishaps. While it certainly isn’t Cavill’s fault that these movies were not appealing enough to theatergoers, their performances definitely still reflect on him and his career. Therefore, Cavill needs a win sooner rather than later.

Highlander Has The Best Chance Of Giving Henry Cavill A New Hit Franchise

Why Highlander Has So Much Potential

Christopher Lambert holding a sword on a mountain in Highlander.

Of all the projects Henry Cavill has coming up in the next year or two, the one with the most potential is Highlander. The fantasy adventure franchise first originated in 1986 with a movie starring Christopher Lambert. The story follows Connor MacLeod, an immortal Scottish warrior who is living in present day (1980s) New York. However, his past comes back to haunt him as MacLeod prepares for a holy battle called The Gathering. Through a series of movies and a TV show, the Highlander franchise successfully blends historical fiction with fantasy to form some truly awesome action and adventure.

Every Highlander Movie/Show
Year of Release

Highlander
1986

Highlander II: The Quickening
1991

Highlander: The Series
1992

Highlander III: The Sorcerer
1994

Highlander: Endgame
2000

Highlander: The Source
2007

Highlander: The Search for Vengeance
2007

The reason why the Highlander reboot is so good for Cavill is two-fold: the movie is happening, and it already has an audience. Oftentimes, actors will become attached to projects that get sucked into development hell and never end up happening. Fortunately, this doesn’t seem to be the case with Highlander. Henry Cavill’s reboot is set to begin filming at the start of 2025. Furthermore, Highlander already has a fanbase, which means its likelihood of success is much higher. Highlander lovers, Henry Cavill supporters, and newcomers can all rally around this reboot, hopefully leading to a strong box office performance.

Why Henry Cavill’s Other Upcoming Projects Are Risky

Cavill’s Future Is Bright, Regardless Of 2024’s Failures

Henry Cavill Wearing a Suit and Looking to the Right in The Man from UNCLE.

Aside from Highlander, Henry Cavill is set to star in a few other upcoming projects. These do not have the same level of potential as Highlander, mostly because there are risks that come with them. For example, Cavill is slated to star in 2025’s In the GreyThis action film has a great cast and an intriguing premise, yet it is another Guy Ritchie movie. Like The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, this movie may not do enough to bring audiences into theaters, even if it is well-liked by critics. Cavill may just suffer from the same disappointment twice.

Henry Cavill will co-star in In the Grey alongside Jake Gyllenhaal.

Cavill’s other big upcoming project is Warhammer. Despite being one of the actor’s most highly anticipated projects, it is also his least secure. Warhammer is a tabletop role-play game which is reportedly being developed into a TV series by Amazon Prime Video. Cavill will apparently lead the production. The only problem is, Warhammer might not happen. Thus far, Amazon has yet to confirm that the show is truly happening. This lack of security means that Warhammer could easily fall through, leaving Cavill searching for another franchise. Admittedly, if Warhammer does happen, it will be a huge step forward for Cavill.

In the end, Henry Cavill may have suffered a few disappointments in 2024, but his future is bright. The actor has a number of big projects coming up, many of which are franchises that could produce sequels and spinoffs. If these movies and shows succeed, Cavill will no longer be dogged down by the roles he recently lost. Instead, he will be heading into a new era of his career that could be bigger and better than ever before. Cavill could maintain his streak of impressive and beloved action franchises. Therefore, audiences should prepare for a Henry Cavill renaissance.