With the first part of Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon now available to stream on Netflix, fans have been busy spotting all the references the universe has to offer from other franchises. While the project was originally a mature take on the space opera genre akin to the universe of Star Wars, the film evolved to be so much more than just that. However, there are references to other universes in the story, such that one fan theory suggests that the franchise as a whole might be connected to a different IP altogether.
Aside from the obvious inspiration that is taken from the Star Wars franchise, the film also has a few shades of Dune, and Warhammer 40,000. The influence of the latter is so potent, that fans have taken to the internet to share their theories about the possibility that the two universes share a continuity. Redditor u/foxtro1_1 has pointed out the many similarities that exist between the Warhammer 40k and Rebel Moon universes.
If Rebel Moon is in the same universe as Warhammer 40k, Henry Cavill has a way into another Zack Snyder franchise
Despite all the behind-the-scenes drama that Henry Cavill had to face, between his exit from The Witcher and his expulsion from the then-reinvigorated DCEU, Cavill has forged a new project at hand, with one of his greatest passions: Warhammer 40,000. Cavill has partnered with Games Workshop to produce a live-action cinematic universe set in the Warhammer 40,000 IP. However, according to Redditor u/foxtro1_1, Snyder might have already taken a crack at it with his new space opera IP on Netflix. According to the user:
“It’s got everything: A fascist empire run from Earth! A corpse king! Officer that look like space Nazis! A leader named Belisarius! Something literally called “The Mechanicum” where people augment themselves with machines! Men of Iron! The Ecclesiarchy!”
The similarities alone have launched the theory into the mainstream with the Warhammer 40,000 community on Reddit, bringing to light the various blatant similarities (that some have accused of qualifying for plagiarism) that the IP has with the newly released Rebel Moon franchise. However, if this theory is true, and there is indeed some connection between the two universes, it would set a precedent for streaming properties like no other, given that Amazon Studios has recently partnered with Games Workshop to produce the cinematic universe.
Henry Cavill will star in and be an executive producer for his Warhammer 40,000 universe
Henry Cavill announced in October 2022, that after his exit from The Witcher franchise for Netflix and after hanging up the cape for Superman post his cameo in the Dwayne Johnson starer Black Adam, the actor will be hard at work bringing to to film and television the Warhammer 40k Universe. Cavill announced his intention on an Instagram post, getting fans hyped for what is to come. So far, apart from the fact that Amazon is set to produce the IP with Games Workshop, we know that Cavill intends to star in the series, and also be an executive producer on the franchise.
The Warhammer 40,000 was originally a TTRPG setting, distinct from the Warhammer fantasy universe, that has a set canon that allows players to play with the various factions that have been created by the lore of the story. There have been multiple spin-off video games and novels set in the universe, that flesh out the universe of the IP and provide important context for play within the wargame.
