Henry Cavill’s 6 Biggest Movie and TV Roles

Henry Cavill is one of the most popular actors working today, thanks to roles in some absolutely gargantuan franchises.

The actor is known for plenty of parts both large and small, but here are his biggest ones.

The Tudors

Before he was Superman, Cavill made himself known thanks to his starring role as the First Duke of Suffolk in Showtime’s steamy period drama The Tudors, where he showed off his body and his acting ability in equal amounts. The series ran from 2007 to 2010, and went on to garner several nominations at the Golden Globes and Emmys.

The DC Extended Universe

Obviously this is the big one for most fans of Cavill, since there aren’t many bigger roles than Superman. The British actor started playing the Last Son of Krypton in 2013 with Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, before reprising the role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, Black Adam, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and The Flash.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Cavill’s first try as a leading man outside of Superman was unfortunately a box office bomb. Based on the 1964 spy series of the same name, this stylish espionage thriller from Guy Ritchie didn’t go over well with audiences or critics when it released in 2015. In recent years, however, the film has taken on new life as a cult classic—so much so that Rolling Stone deemed it the 50th best action movie of all time.

Mission: Impossible — Fallout

Speaking of great action movies, here’s the best American action movie of the decade. The high-water mark of the entire Mission: Impossible series, Fallout wowed audiences with its killer stunts (Tom Cruise doing a one-shot HALO jump from above the Earth’s atmosphere and then later breaking his foot for real on camera, hello) and gorgeous cinematography to create an unmatched experience. Helps that Cavill pops up as one of the most interesting supporting characters in the entire franchise, where he’s especially known for the fight scene where he cocks his biceps like a shotgun.

The Witcher

In 2019, Cavill took on an entirely different sort of leading role in Netflix’s The Witcher, a violent fantasy drama based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s classic book series. Cavill played the role for three seasons before quitting the series, prompting Netflix to replace him with Liam Hemsworth for season four onwards.

Enola Holmes

Cavill’s latest franchise is Enola Holmes, a film series centered around the younger sister of the world’s greatest detective. Cavill plays the role of Sherlock Holmes in the series, and has reprised the role for all three films.