With Henry Cavill’s 40k show on Amazon being ‘locked and loaded’, many fans have been speculating about the potential themes, storylines and characters that could be involved in this new Amazon venture.
After much consideration, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 most anticipated inclusions in Henry Cavill’s hotly debated Amazon production.
1 – The Start of the Horus Heresy
Henry Cavill may base the flagship Amazon 40k series on the foundation of 40k lore and the Space Marine legions. The Horus Heresy.
It’s safe to say if this is the direction Cavill is taking the new 40k series, then we’ll likely see the events of the novels ‘Horus Rising’, ‘False Gods’ and ‘Galaxy In Flames’ covered through one or two seasons of tv, ending with the climactic betrayal and political aftermath of the Istvaan V drop site massacre.
This also leaves spinoffs open to follow other books based on individual events in the Horus Heresy series like ‘The Flight of the Eisenstein’ and ‘Know No Fear’, while the main series continues with the saga with later seasons focusing on the grander narrative nearer the end of the heresy.
2 – Eisenhorn & Ravenor
Another great jumping off point for Henry Cavill’s 40k show would be the ‘Eisenhorn’ and ‘Ravenor’ series of books.
These books provide a street-level view of the Imperium of Man and the nefarious forces of Chaos, starting with the first novel in the series, ‘Eisenhorn: Xenos’.
Using this series as a first look into the 40k universe would provide a grounded view of the Imperium’s inner workings, and properly set the stage for the high-octane action of the Space Marine stories later.
It’s also important to mention these stories are more detective-based with moments of flashy action which is better for the budget of a first-time show when compared to the budget-heavy Space Marine stories.
3 – Gaunt’s Ghosts
Another great way of peering into the inner workings of the Imperium is through its chief military wing. The Astra Militarum, or Imperial Guard.
These soldiers of the Imperium are the hammer of humanity, and one of the most prevalent factions in the 40k universe due to their wide use across millions of worlds.
While the Space Marines are the sword that strikes at the enemies of mankind, it’s the Imperial Guard that takes the brunt of enemy aggression.
Stories involving Commissar Ibram Gaunt and the Tanith First Regiment in the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, starting with the first novel in the series, ‘First and Only,’ demonstrate the harsh reality of war in the galaxy of Warhammer 40k.
4 – Horror Anthology
Among the many suggestions for potential 40k shows, many have failed to mention the vast library of short horror stories and audio dramas produced by the Black Library.
While this may be an unorthodox approach for a first show, we’ve seen the proven success of anthology shows like ‘Love Death & Robots’ and ‘Secret Level’, which has its own 40k episode, ‘They Shall Know No Fear‘.
With horrifying short horror stories like ‘The Watcher In The Rain’, and ‘The House of Night and Chain’, a horror anthology show might be the first step that the fledgling Amazon show needs to find its feet.
5 – Modern 40k
With the advent of the Primaris Marines, it might be a good opportunity to put more of a focus on the modern era of 40k, instead of delving into the setting’s past.
With modern 40k, there is a chance to tie in the show with the build-up to the next planned novel releases and general direction of the setting. This can be done while using characters important to the modern lore like Archmagos Belisarius Cawl, and enigmatic Primarch of the Ultramarines, Roboute Guilliman.
An original story in the modern 40k universe gives new viewers a chance to catch up on the current geopolitical landscape of the galaxy, while informing them up on essential setting fundamentals.
6 – Unification Wars
While more of a long shot, the Amazon Warhammer 40k TV show could decide to start at (almost) the very beginning, with the Unification Wars on Terra – and how the God Emperor of Mankind unites the warring factions of a divided Terra to create the Imperium of Man.
While there will be many elements of the modern 40k universe missing, there will still be elements that can be identified as Warhammer franchise staples, with perpetuals like Malcador the Sigillite, the creation of the Primarchs, and early versions of Adeptus Custodes – while introducing new elements like the Thunder Warriors.
The benefit of setting the Amazon show during this period is the lack of clear established lore, letting the writers work freely without destroying established canon – they could even take the themes of one of the best 40k short stories, ‘The Last Church’ as inspiration.
7 – Ultramarines
Ultramarines are one of the most prevalent Space Marine factions in the 41st millennium, and are one of the more commonly encountered space marines for the average citizen of the Imperium.
Ruling from the region of Ultramar, which is almost an empire itself within the Imperium, the Ultramarines are the most recognizable element of 40k, and are perfect for a flagship series.
It’s possible to even create tie-ins with the ‘Space Marine’ video game series, by basing the narrative around Demetrian Titus, and the Ultramarines Second Company.
This allows Amazon to capitalize on the hype around ‘Space Marine 2’ while presenting a recognizable face to audiences, and a story that hasn’t been fully told yet.
8 – Necromunda
From grand galactic battles, back to street-level crime and punishment. Necromunda is a tabletop game for Warhammer 40k that takes place deep within one of the Imperium’s hive cities.
This grants a look at some of the seedy underworld of the 41st millenium, from criminal bosses, to hive-city gangs. It would even involve the law-obsessed Adeptus Arbites, and other Agents of the Imperium looking to quell the unrest.
Necromunda could also dive into the insidious Genestealer Cults, and set up a prelude to a potential Tyranid invasion story in later seasons where Space Marines can then be used.
9 – Rogue Trader
Rogue Trader is a tabletop roleplaying game in the same vein as Dungeons & Dragons, but set in the untamed Koronus Expanse, and has become the basis for a popular roleplaying videogame of the same name.
A TV show based on this setting would provide a chance for our protagonist to explore the galaxy frontier, encountering new worlds and cultures, while being able to bend some key laws of the Imperium, and showing more of the other Xenos factions of the galaxy, like the Aeldari and Drukhari.
10 – Helsreach
The Helm’s Deep of 40k novels. Helsreach covers the events of an Ork invasion on the planet of Armageddon, defended by a loose contingent of zealous Black Templar Space Marines, and the dwindling planetary defence forces.
The novel-long battle encapsulates key aspects of the 40k universe, including the Salamanders Space Marine Chapter, the secretive Adeptus Mechanicus, the Adepta Sororitas, and even the massive Titan Legions – larger cousins of the Imperial Knights.
This story has action, intrigue, and great moments, capturing the best of different facets of the Imperium, and serves as a fantastic introduction to the universe of 40k as a whole.
In Summary
It may be obvious at this point that the Amazon 40k show has a deep well of lore from which to pull new stories, but it’s important to note that depending on which story the show decides to tell, some changes may be made to the original canon for the sake of translating well to screen.
Forgiving the small inaccuracies is a small price to pay for the sake of enjoying a well-told story with a great production value set in a 40k universe, and hopefully, this show results in an influx of new hobbyists enjoying the rich universe of 40k.
