Henry Cavill’s Argylle sets a catastrophic impression upon critics and fans as evidenced by its current Rotten Tomatoes rating. Helmed by Matthew Vaughn, the action thriller has a 35% score as of this writing. As the film has only just launched, the figures can still change over the next few weeks; however, it does not alter the fact that many who have seen its early screening were terribly dismayed.
This is another spy action movie for Cavill, who has done a couple of espionage-themed movies in the past. Let’s not forget he is also in the running for the coveted James Bond role, so is he just going to play a secret agent for the rest of his career?
Henry Cavill Needs To Rethink His Movie Role Choices
Henry Cavill famously portrayed the likes of Superman from Man of Steel and Geralt of Rivia from Netflix’s The Witcher. These two popular franchises have undoubtedly cemented his legacy in Hollywood as the brooding and buff leading man.
Rolling back to 2007, the British actor starred in BBC Two’s The Tudors as Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, his first appearance as a main character. He was praised for his performance, but the majority of the comments were about his charm and killer body.
His next big project was in Tarsem Singh Dhandwar’s 2011 film Immortals where he played the strong and strapping Theseus. Earlier that year, it was announced that he would join Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel as Clark Kent/Superman. He went on to reprise that role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League.
In 2015, he co-starred with Armie Hammer in the spy movie The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and in 2018, he joined Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – Fallout. From 2019 to 2023, the 40-year-old star bulked up again for the Netflix adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher.
Certainly, Cavill has starred in other lesser-known films in between these major projects, but his roles in them don’t really differ that much from what he has done in the past and what he’s going to do in the near future. After the initial disheartening reaction to Argylle, another spy movie again is slated for release this April 2024 – Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
There is no doubt that the Enola Holmes star is a gorgeous and leading man-material, but he has not starred in other projects outside of the action genre where he does not play a superhero, a spy agent, or a hyper-masculine character. There is no way to measure his acting range and versatility, and Argylle seemingly proves that people are tired of his same-character-all-the-time roles.
Cavill has yet to demonstrate that he won’t fall into the typecast role that many Hollywood actors actively try to avoid. He has a lot of time to prove that he’s got real dramatic chops only if he would diversify his portfolio.
Did Mark Wahlberg Leave Oscar-Worthy Projects For Box Office?
Another actor known for playing the same roles over and over is Mark Wahlberg. Surely, you can now picture the guy permanently looking tired and out of breath, chasing an enemy on the other side of the world.
After the former rapper left his old life and delved into the world of filmmaking, he found a niche in the industry that highlighted his acting brilliance. Some of his noteworthy projects include Boogie Nights, Three Kings, The Departed, and The Other Guys – all of which he showcased his flair in drama, action, and comedy.
Now, he has fallen into the trap of starring mainly in heavy action movies with guns blazing, literally. He has received several nominations from different award-giving bodies, such as the Oscars, Golden Globe, and Satellite Awards, for some of his older works. Now, he’s heading full speed into blockbuster films all for the profit.
