If you pictured Henry Cavill as the Dragonborn in a Skyrim adaptation, don’t keep your hopes up because Todd Howard has no such plans.

fallout, henry cavill

Video game adaptations have become one of the big trends in film and TV lately. And seeing the success of projects like the Fallout show, the Sonic movies, and others, it’s easy to see why. Despite this success, Bethesda Game Studios head Todd Howard has hinted that fans shouldn’t expect a live-action Elder Scrolls or Skyrim series anytime soon.

Todd Howard speaking to Lex Fridman on YouTube.The man is legendary in his own regard. | Image Credit: @lexfridman/YouTube

And you know who this spells trouble for? Our favorite super nerd Henry Cavill. The actor has previously talked about how much he enjoys gaming and even named The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim in particular as “a Great Game.” For now, we’ll have to be satisfied with his upcoming Warhammer 40K project with Amazon.

Todd Howard rules out a Skyrim adaptation in the near future

A still from The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim A Skyrim show isn’t coming anytime soon. | Image Credit: Bethesda Game Studios

Henry Cavill has become a household name in the entertainment industry for his portrayal of Superman in the DC Extended Universe and as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s The Witcher. Outside of the big screen though, the man is a gamer nerd through and through, just like us! The man has openly shared his love for games before.

One of his most popular stories includes the incident where he famously missed the call offering him the role of Superman because he was in a World of Warcraft raid. Aside from that though, he has also shared his favorite games on many occasions including an interview with GQ where he said “I’ve been playing a lot of the single-player games, like Skyrim. Goodness me, that’s a great game.“

Seeing this you’d think that he’d be great playing a character in Skyrim‘s world. And you’d be right, he would! But that possibility is almost entirely crossed out because of Todd Howard’s comments. “Everybody asks, like, about Elder Scrolls, and I keep saying no also. And I would approach those – I’ll probably say no,” he said to IGN at Fallout’s premiere in Los Angeles.

This really came out of, ‘we think things are aligning to do a high-quality job.’ It wasn’t forced. It was kind of a natural relationship and ‘hey, this sounds really cool.’ As opposed to, ‘we should have a show,’ right? It never came from that.

He also explains the reason behind his words and why Fallout is so uniquely special. Because of how effortless and natural it was to adapt to the post-apocalyptic universe, it’s possible that he feels there has to be the same feeling if he were to adapt to Skyrim.

Henry Cavill has other matters to attend to right now anyways

Henry Cavill in handcuffs in a still from Man of SteelHenry Cavill being arrested in a scene in Man of Steel | Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Henry Cavill probably has none of this in mind though. Or even if he did, he’s focused on something else entirely now. Instead, Cavill has turned his attention to another gaming universe, Warhammer 40K. In December 2022, Amazon acquired the rights to adapt the franchise, with Cavill set to star and executive produce the project.

On December 10, 2024, after months of speculation and waiting, Cavill finally confirmed that Amazon and Games Workshop reached an agreement and that the Warhammer project would be moving forward. And with the passion that he brings to each of his projects and his pre-existing passion for Warhammer, it’s easy to say that he’ll be giving it his all.

So while Skyrim may be off the table for now, Cavill’s involvement in gaming-related projects is far from over. Beyond Warhammer, Cavill’s extensive gaming knowledge and star power make him a prime candidate for future adaptations.