The executive producers ofSecret Leveldetail how the video game anthology’s Warhammer episode can exist alongside Henry Cavill’s franchise. It was announced in December 2022 that Cavill would lead a movie and television adaptation of the popularWarhammer 40,000game and serve as executive producer. But audiences will get a glimpse of anotherWarhammeriteration much sooner. It will be featured in an episode ofPrime Video’s upcomingSecret Levelseries, which consists of fifteen animated, standalone episodes based on video games.
In an interview withScreen Rant’s Liam Crowley, ahead ofthe Prime Video premiere ofSecret Levelon December 10, series creator Tim Miller and executive producer Dave Wilson were asked if Cavill had any input on the anthology’s Warhammer episode. Wilson, who is also supervising director, confirmed he does not, though Miller added that theMan of Steelactor has an open invitation. In the quote below, the executive producers also go into detail about howSecret Levelpredates the announcement of aWarhammerfranchise:
You guys nailed the tone completely in the show, especially with the Warhammer episode. We have so many bigger plans for Warhammer under that Amazon MGM umbrella down the line. I’m curious, did Henry Cavill himself have any input on the Warhammer episode?
Dave Wilson:No, he didn’t. We have multiple times wanted to bring Henry into the fold.
Tim Miller:That’s a blanket invitation.
Dave Wilson:Secret Level started I think before any of the larger universe plans [for Warhammer] had been announced. When I came onto the show over three years ago, Warhammer was already on board on Secret Level. I think my hope is with a universe as vast as Warhammer, what we would love to do and what Henry wants to do, sort of all can all coexist.
There are certain IPs that I’m interested in from a live-action standpoint and others in animation, but for whatever reason since that Dawn of War trade 20 years ago and this episode now, I’ve always loved representing Warhammer in the visual style that exists in Secret Level. That’s not to say it can’t exist elsewhere. It’s the same way Spider-Man exists in the Spider-Verse and in the films with the live-action films. I think if anything, it’s proven the point that the audiences will consume all of that.
Tim Miller:Oddly enough, when we did the Dawn of War cinematic 20 years ago, we became friends with the Games Workshop guys and they said, ‘Hey, maybe we should make a movie of this. Do you want to take us?’ So we took ‘em around to some other studios and I got to hear them pitch the company and their franchise. And it was really interesting, even though I worked in the game industry, to realize just how big a business the games are. And so they’re making replica toys and publishing books and making video games.
Them doing a movie is just not the big thing that Hollywood thinks it is. It’s like, ‘Now Hollywood’s coming to call, let’s go!’ But in fact, they have this whole universe and millions of fans and they make quite a good living off of all their other things that we were then just riding the tails of.
Dave Wilson:With all those things. I think a franchise as storied as Warhammer, all we’re doing is borrowing it with the hope that we leave it in a better state than we found it, right? It belongs to the creatives and the craftsmen in Nottingham who have kept that franchise along and thriving for 40 years. We just borrow it for a small moment of time and man, it is intimidating. It is a big franchise and the only thing I want less than no Warhammer content is being the a–hole that f–ks it up.
What These Comments Mean For Secret Level’s Warhammer Episode
Secret Levelwill focus on various video games, includingMega-Man,Pac-Man, and the general world of PlayStation. Each of these will come with its own animation style and tone. As seen above, in the brief trailer for theWarhammerepisode, the tone there seems to be in the vein of a somber epic. But that is not the case with all the upcoming episodes.
Unreal Tournament
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
There hasn’t been a lot of news and forward momentum on theWarhammeradaptation led by Cavill. Reports suggest development has stalled over creative disagreements, with the actor currently set to leadVoltronon the big screen. But as the executive producers mention, audiences are no strangers to seeing different versions of familiar characters across different adaptations. In fact, in the case ofSpider-ManandDeadpool & Wolverine, the variation is a source of strength.If Cavill’s Warhammer does happen, it has little bearing on whatSecret Leveldoes with the material.
Our Take On Secret Level’s Warhammer Episode
It Could Be A Standout
Wilson and Miller both worked on theNetflix animated anthologyLove, Death & Robots, with Miller having created it, and that series successfully catered tone and style to the story being told. With its release just days away, there’s no reasonSecret Levelcan’t thrive in the same way and exist as its own story without the concern of clashing with other projects. Plus, the confirmation that the show’sWarhammerepisode was greenlit before Cavill’s venture likely means it won’t have been managed for the sake of franchise planning, so viewers should be in for a fully realized, contained narrative.
Secret Level
Cast
Secret Level is an adult animated series exploring original short stories set within the worlds of popular video games. Each episode introduces new adventures, delving into iconic gaming classics and forthcoming titles to unlock captivating narratives and immersive experiences. Created by Tim Miller, the series celebrates gaming culture.
