Henry Cavill continues his deep dive into the Warhammer 40,000 universe with a new animated series in development at Amazon MGM Studios. Cavill will serve as an executive producer on the project, which is being animated by Blur Studios, the same team behind the critically acclaimed "And They Shall Know No Fear" episode from the anthology series Secret Level. This marks Cavill's second major Warhammer 40,000 production with Amazon, following his involvement with the upcoming live-action adaptation.
This new animated series will reportedly focus on The Deathwatch, an elite cadre of Space Marines tasked with hunting alien threats. It is anticipated that the show will draw inspiration from and potentially continue the narrative threads established in the "Secret Level" episode, which featured Lieutenant Titus and his squad battling Chaos cultists. The episode was praised for its brutal, laconic tone and faithful depiction of the Warhammer 40,000 lore.
Dave Wilson, who directed the "And They Shall Know No Fear" episode, is co-creating and directing the new series alongside screenwriter John Orloff, known for his work on "Master of the Air" and "Band of Brothers." Tim Miller, creator of Secret Level, is also executive producing, along with Roy Lee, Andy Smillie from Games Workshop, Natalie Viscuso, and Cavill himself.
Blur Studios, recognized for its high-quality 3D animation in video game cutscenes and trailers for titles such as Halo Wars and Star Wars: The Old Republic, is handling the animation. Wilson expressed enthusiasm for the project, stating that Secret Level was designed as a "launchpad for larger stories" and that the positive fan reception to the Warhammer episode provided an opportunity to build upon that foundation for a long-form narrative. He noted a personal desire to tell a long-form Warhammer 40,000 story for over two decades.
The development of this animated series aligns with Games Workshop's ongoing expansion of the Warhammer 40,000 franchise across various media. Beyond miniatures for the tabletop game, the universe is seeing numerous video game releases, including anticipated titles like Dawn of War 4, Space Marine 3, and a new Total War installment, alongside recent crossovers like Helldivers 2. The enduring popularity of the dark science-fiction setting, nearly 40 years after its inception, continues to fuel new adaptations and expansions.