Henry Cavillhas made his name mostly by playing heroic characters and good guys, but one of his best performances came in the role of a villain. Most people discovered Henry Cavill thanks tohis role as Superman inMan of Steelor his performance in theNetflix fantasy seriesThe Witcheras Geralt of Rivia.
In fact, throughout his career,Henry Cavill mainly played heroic characters, from his role as Theseus inImmortalstoSherlock Holmes inEnola Holmesand Napoleon Solo inThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.However, one of the best performances of his career came in a movie that subverted expectations when it introduced him as a hero.
Henry Cavill’s Best Role Is As The Villain In Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Henry Cavill played one of themain antagonists inMission: Impossible - Fallout.However, the film subverted expectations by introducing him as a hero and an ally of Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise).Cavill played August Walker, a CIA operative assigned to help work with Ethan Hunt, as well as to keep an eye on him.
However, it turns out in the end that August Walker was a villain, a mole inside the United States government who was tasked with stopping Ethan Hunt and helping the terrorists who were planning the nuclear attack. When August turned on Ethan and threatened to kill his ex-wife, he proved to be a dangerous enemy.
What worked so well was that Cavill used his white-collar look to keep his ulterior motives hidden from Ethan Hunt and the audience watching the movie. He proved to be deadly as a hero, and then flipped a switch and became ruthless as a villain.
For someone who made his name as a violent force of good, it was a shocking turn. This also makes it look like Henry Cavill might be better suited to playing this role more often.
If therumors of Cavill’s return to DC comic book moviesare true, James Gunn could use the actor’s former role as Superman as a nice way to subvert expectations even more by making him a ruthless and dangerous villain. August Walker proved he has what it takes.
August Walker Is Also One Of The Best Mission: Impossible Villains
What makesHenry Cavill stand out as aMission: Impossible - Falloutvillainis that he came into the movie as a good guy and then flipped a switch. InMan of Steel,he was DC’s greatest hero. InThe Witcher,he was a killer of monsters and a protector of the innocent.
InMission: Impossible - Fallout,he was a ruthless killer and someone who didn’t care about anyone or anything but his mission. August Walker proved to be a great match for Ethan Hunt, outsmarting him and proving to be more than a match when it comes to fighting skills.
Sadly, there is no way that August Walker can return, as he couldn’t have survived the fall he took at the end ofMission: Impossible - Fallout,although crazier things have happened in this universe. With that said,Henry Cavillturned in a great performance as a villain in the movie, and he should continue that path in future movies.
