Henry Cavill Has Starred In War Movies, But His Next Film Is Still A Career First After 23 Years

Henry Cavill is no stranger to war movies, but his latest role in the upcoming film The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare marks a first in his 23-year career. The film chronicles an elite combat unit in WW2 that Winston Churchill put together to hunt Nazis known as the Special Operations Executive (SOE). It specifically focuses on a fictionalized version of Operation Postmaster, which took place in January 1942 and jumpstarted the idea of Black Ops military groups.

The film is based on the novel The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: How Churchill’s Secret Warriors Set Europe Ablaze and Gave Birth to Modern Black Ops by Damien Lewis. It is directed by Guy Richie, whom Cavill has worked with before on projects such as The Man From U.N.C.L.E. This also marks another espionage-based movie for Cavill in 2024 with the release of his spy film Argylle.

The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare Is Henry Cavill’s First WW2 Movie

This film marks not only Cavill’s first WW2 film but also simultaneously continues and breaks the trends in his recent roles. Though several war movies are set for 2024, this will be Cavill’s first film discussing WW2, which could allow for a concise timeline of films for fans to see Cavill through the decades. Cavill’s role in The Man From U.N.C.L.E touches on the Cold War that sparked after these events, with Sand Castle following the Iraq War. However, despite this film being his first dive into WW2 history, his role both keeps and breaks some of Cavill’s patterns.

Henry Cavill’s Ministry Of Ungentlemany Warfare Character Follows An Interesting Career Trend

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare adds to Cavill’s portrayals of well-known figures with a specific characterization, but also breaks some of his recent career trends. Cavill has portrayed many of these figures who are either very put together or stoic and strong paragons, with both types rarely working with others. However, Cavill’s role in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare as Gus March-Phillips breaks that trend, despite Phillips being a real person, due to his chaotic nature. This allows Cavill to diversify his acting as he goes outside the classic hero archetype audiences have seen before. Examples of this trend include:

This film is also one of Cavill’s first true ensemble films. Phillips must strongly rely on his team as The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’s story unfolds, unlike many of the other Cavill protagonists. Usually, they must either carry out most of the plot alone as they are the only ones who can or have one or two people they trust to assist them. This could allow Cavill to keep some of those moments he is known for while also creating new opportunities for both comedic and dramatic beats, giving The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare an explosively unique tone.