Summary
Henry Cavillhas solidified himself as one of Hollywood’s most popular and recognizable action stars. From theKryptonian Supermanto monster hunter Geralt of Rivia, Cavill not only tends to star in action films and television series, but has also played many powerful characters. In the DC Extended Universe, superpowers are an integral part of the character he plays, and as he seeks to use his powers to enact justice in an unjust world.
Some of Cavill’s other characters also have superhuman abilities and superior physical strength, which makes them more powerful in others. In other cases, Cavill’s characters are powerful because of the influence they can wield over others, or in how they are able to outmaneuver their opponents through their unparalleled intellect. InCavill’s action moviesand in other projects, he has proven that there is more than one way to be powerful, and that it can be about more than battle prowess and physical strength.
I’ve Figured Out Henry Cavill’s Perfect The Witcher Replacement, And It’s Not Wolverine
Even though many believe Wolverine can be Henry Cavill’s perfect The Witcher replacement, another up-and-coming franchise could have him as its lead.
10Agent Argylle
Argylle (2024)
In the world of Elly Conway’s novels, Agent Argylle is the brave protagonist who resourcefully overcomes any obstacle in his path and always saves the day. In reality, Elly seems to be the real Argylle (Rachel Kylle), whose true memories and abilities were suppressed after being captured and brainwashed by her enemies. The real power belongs to Rachel once she rediscovers who she is, with the fictional Argylle mostly existing to remind her of her true self.
This becomes more convoluted with the actual real Argylle showing up at Rachel’s reading of her final novel duringArgylle’s ending.The full story and extent of the real Argylle’s power remains to be seen, but for now remains a mystery. Based on what is known about Argylle, though, he cannot hold a candle to many of Cavill’s other characters, although that may change if the real Argylle is fleshed out further in potential sequels and spinoffs.
Argylle
Cast
Argylle is an action thriller by director Matthew Vaughn. The movie centers on an introverted novelist who is thrown into the real world of espionage after the plot of her most recent spy thriller parrels the crimes of an underground syndicate. Argylle has a star-studded cast, including Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Dua Lipa, and Samuel L. Jackson, among others.
9Napoleon Solo
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Cavill’s Napoleon Solo is a World War II veteran who became involved with the post-war black market. Instead of this being the end of him, the talents he used in his illegal dealings led him to the employ of the CIA, a position that grants him a certain degree of power inThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.Solo does not have the superpowers that other Cavill characters possess, but he is quite intuitive, charming, and inventive, all of which enable him to be successful.
Alongside Illya Kuryakin, Solo takes on Nazi sympathizers, who are attempting to create a nuclear weapon. With his various talents and his partner, Solo is able to stop these kinds of enemies, buthe would be severely outmatched against many of the opponents that Cavill’s other characters face. Solo’s power only works in a world with espionage and traditional warfare, and not against the monsters and supervillains other Cavill characters have proven themselves against.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Based on the television series of the same name, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is directed by Guy Ritchie and stars Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer. Set during the height of the Cold War, the film follows a CIA operative and a KGB agent who are forced to work together to stop an international criminal conspiracy. Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, and Hugh Grant star alongside Cavill and Hammer.
8Gus March-Phillips
The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)
Gustavus March-Phillips was a real-life individual, and was powerful enough to inspire the character of James Bond in Ian Fleming’s writings. Operation Postmaster, a secretive mission to sabotage Axis supply lines, was carried out under Gus' command.The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfareheavily dramatizes the true storyof Operation Postmaster, but in the real and fictional versions of these stories, Gus' leadership, resourcefulness, and bravery prove vital in the mission’s success.
Under these kinds of circumstances, Gus could be a powerful individual willing to take risks to achieve the desired result of his mission.Outside the context of war, Cavill’s version of Gus does not have a great deal of power, especially when compared to other characters Cavill has portrayed. The real Gus initially bringing Bond to life is a point in his favor, although this influence has little to do with the fictional Gus, who came many decades after Bond was first created.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a World War II film depicting a British Army unit’s covert operations against Nazi forces. The movie focuses on the Special Operations Executive, a clandestine organization established by Winston Churchill, whose unconventional tactics helped shape modern black operations.
7August Walker
Mission Impossible – Fallout (2018)
Cavill tends to play heroic characters, but he proved he can also excel at playing the villain through the role of August Walker inMission Impossible – Fallout. Walker successfully infiltrated the CIA, becoming trusted within the government organization while secretly working for the Apostles. He is a formidable opponent for Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, which, as seen throughout theMission Impossibleseries, is a difficult feat considering Ethan’s experience and many skills.
Despite what Walker is able to achieve, being the villain in this case means he is ultimately defeated by Ethan.Failing to succeed in his mission, no matter how sinister it is in this case, automatically makes Walker weaker than other Cavill characterswho are ultimately successful in their aims. Cavill is just as adept at playing a villain as he is at playing a hero, and in this case, the villainous Walker cannot surpass the heroes because of how his story ends.
Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Mission: Impossible - Fallout: Released in 2018, the film continues the saga of Ethan Hunt as he grapples with the fallout of a mission gone awry. With the IMF’s integrity in question, Hunt and his team must navigate treachery within their ranks while facing a looming global threat.
10 Mission Impossible Villains Ranked
Although every Mission: Impossible villain brings something new to the table, only a few raise effectively raise the stakes for Ethan Hunt’s missions.
6Sherlock Holmes
Enola Holmes (2020) & Enola Holmes 2 (2022)
Enola Holmes' Sherlock Holmes may not have superpowers or unparalleled physical strength, butSherlock is a renowned and famous detective able to take on and solve cases that are a mystery to everyone else. Only his sister, Enola, andEnola Holmes2’s Moriarty can rival his intuition and ability to see meaningful patterns where others see nothing at all. Beyond his intelligence, Sherlock wields influence because of his impressive reputation, and is able to attract high-profile clients.
Enola Holmes 3is slated to begin production in 2025.
While Cavill’s Sherlock is influential in his area of expertise and in the cases he solves, his influence, and therefore his power, is limited outside this context. This makes him weaker than some of Cavill’s other characters, who remain powerful regardless of the environment they find themselves in. Sherlock’s arena is extensive enough that he is powerful more often than not in his daily life, although that may be further challenged by Moriarty inEnola Holmes 3.
Enola Holmes
Adapted from the first book in Nancy Springer’s The Enola Holmes Mysteries series, Enola Holmes follows the titular heroine, the younger sister of famous London detective Sherlock Holmes, as she attempts to solve the disappearance of her mother and unwittingly gets drawn into a mystery that could threaten all of Great Britain. Millie Bobbie Brown stars as Enola, with a cast that includes Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, and Helena Bonham Carter.
5Charles Brandon
The Tudors (2007-2010)
The Tudors’Charles Brandon is more powerful in the political realm than any other character Cavill has played. Charles held many prominent titles as a close ally and member of King Henry VIII’s inner circle, and maintained a powerful influence that few of the monarch’s closest companions were able to sustain. Henry VIII famously killed several of his wives, but Charles was able to remain well-liked and trusted by him, a powerful feat in itself.
Charles' political power only reaches so far, though, as he cannot supersede the will of Henry VIII and generally obeys the king’s orders. If he had to face Cavill’s characters, who have superpowers, Charles' political power probably would not be that useful, and he would be easily bested by them. There are limits to what he can achieve, both inThe Tudorsand in a hypothetical match against Cavill’s more powerful characters.
The Tudors
The Tudors is a historical drama television series that chronicles the reign of King Henry VIII of England, played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers. The show explores his tumultuous relationships, including his marriages to Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, while delving into the intrigue, politics, and drama of the Tudor court.
4The Cavillrine
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
While Cavill only has a cameo as one of the manyvariants of WolverineinDeadpool & Wolverine, enough was seen to assert him as one of Cavill’s most powerful characters. Similar to other Wolverines, including the titular one played by Hugh Jackman,the Cavillrine has retractable adamantium claws and superior physical strengththat sends Deadpool hurtling through a pillar when he is punched. The Cavillrine quickly proved to be more powerful than Deadpool.
Since he has the adamantium claws and superior physical strength, he likely possesses other Wolverine abilities, such as the character’s regenerative healing.
He was not swayed by Deadpool’s words and made it clear that he did not want to go with the Merc with a Mouth. This demonstrates mental strength as Deadpool’s fast-talking sometimes gets inside the heads of those listening to him, but the Cavillrine was not swayed by this. Since he has the adamantium claws and superior physical strength, he likely possesses other Wolverine abilities, such as the character’s regenerative healing.
Deadpool & Wolverine
A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
3Theseus
Immortals (2011)
WhenImmortalsbegins, Theseus is a mortal human soldier and an outcast in his society. That changes when Theseus is chosen by the Greek gods to stop King Hyperion and his minions from unleashing the Titans incarcerated below Mount Tartarus. By the end ofImmortals, Theseus not only defeats Hyperion and his forces, thereby preventing their dastardly plan from coming to fruition, but ascends to Mount Olympus itself and becomes a legend.
Theseus' physical strength and battle prowess elevate his power over many of Cavill’s other characters. Only a warrior of Theseus' caliber could be victorious over Hyperion and the vicious Minotaur, known in this story as the Beast.Being chosen by the gods, going to Mount Olympus itself, and becoming an enduring legend puts Theseus in a class of his ownthat makes him more powerful than most of Cavill’s characters, with only two others able to rival him.
Immortals
In ancient Greece, a young man named Theseus is chosen and trained by the gods. With the help of the oracle Phaedra, he must locate the Epirus Bow to stop the Hyperion from releasing the titans and enslaving mankind.
2Geralt Of Rivia
The Witcher (2019-Present)
From a young age, Geralt of Rivia was trained in the art of killing humans and monsters, skills that are required of every Witcher.Compared to other Witchers, Geralt became the most powerful of them all, largely due to his body being mutated and thus granting him superhuman abilities. He has superior strength, agility, sight, and speed, making him a true force to be reckoned with inThe Witcher’s fantastical world.
Liam Hemsworth has been recast as Geralt forThe Witcherseason 4.
Few are as gifted with weapons as Geralt is, giving him a mastery over the weapons he wields, and an advantage over those he faces. He is still an expert fighter without weapons, though, using hand-to-hand combat on many occasions to best his enemies, and proving that his body is a weapon all on its own. Geralt stands tall among the most powerful characters Cavill has portrayed, but there is one character even more powerful than Geralt.
The Witcher
The Witcher, released in 2019, follows Geralt of Rivia, a mutated monster hunter navigating a turbulent world where humanity’s darker nature often eclipses the monstrous.
1Superman/Clark Kent
Man Of Steel (2013), Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017), Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), & Black Adam (2022)
Between his flight, heat and X-ray vision, superhuman strength and speed, andwith his only weakness being kryptonite, Superman is easily Cavill’s most powerful character. Whether working alone or with fellow superheroes, Cavill’s Superman defeats the formidable likes of General Zod, Doomsday, and Steppenwolf. If he had chosen to do so, Superman could have destroyed human civilization with no one able to oppose him, but choosing not to do this and use his abilities for good is a different kind of power in itself.
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of JusticeandZack Snyder’s Justice Leaguedid tease a future where Darkseid had control over Superman, which proved to be apocalyptic, and a greater threat than anything DC’s heroes had ever faced before, although this story will likely never be completed due to DC’s creative overhaul. As Clark Kent, he demonstrates a different kind of power as a kind, brave, and insightful journalist working for theDaily Planet. WhileHenry Cavillwill play more powerful characters throughout his career, none will be able to surpass the power of Superman/Clark Kent.
Man of Steel
Man of Steel is a 2013 reboot of the Superman franchise, directed by Zack Snyder. Henry Cavill stars as Clark Kent, who discovers his extraterrestrial origins and extraordinary powers.
