Henry Cavill's Voltron Role Is The Power Move Fans Have Waited For

5 days ago 8

Published Jan 29, 2026, 6:58 PM EST

Evan Mullicane is the senior editor and founder of Screen Rant's anime section. Having started as a writer for the Comics Team at the beginning of the Pandemic, Evan was swiftly promoted from writer to editor, and then from editor to lead of Screen Rant's newly established anime vertical.

Throughout his time with Screen Rant, Evan has made a handful of appearances at conventions such as Anime Expo and San Diego Comic-Con, and has interviewed some of the biggest names in Anime and Comics history.

In addition to editing anime and manga articles for Screen Rant, Evan is also a science fiction and fantasy author. In 2018 and 2019, his short story "The Demon's Mother" won honorable mentions from the Writers of the Future contest.

You can find Evan on Twitter @EvanDM and BlueSky @evandmu.bsky.socia

One of Henry Cavill's most anticipated movies is undoubtedly the upcoming Voltron reboot being produced by Amazon. Though there is still a great deal of mystery surrounding the project, fans may have just gotten a first look at Cavill's role in the highly anticipated reboot.

According to a report by Feature First, Henry Cavill will be playing the benevolent King Alfur, while Sterling K. Brown will portray the film's main antagonist, Zarkon. Additionally, the report indicates that the plot will follow a young man who inherits the role of Voltron Lion pilot from his deceased mother.

It's important to note that these elements are still largely rumors and are not confirmed, but if they do prove to be true, then that has big implications for the film.

Henry Cavill's Voltron Role Is Suitably Legendary

What's most interesting about Henry Cavill's rumored role in the Voltron film is that it could mark a slight deviation from the source material.

In both Voltron: Defender of the Universe and the 2016 Voltron: Legendary Defender reboot series, King Alfor is dead.

While Amazon's version of the story may go in a different direction, Alfor's death is a pivotal element of every Voltron series. If that holds true in the upcoming live-action film, then that means Cavill's role could be more limited than some had initially thought.

Why Henry Cavill's Casting Could Still Be Perfect

Even with a shorter appearance, Cavill could still make a big impact as King Alfor. The actor's chiseled features and deep voice make him a natural to play royalty, and could help him add an air of grandiosity to the deceased king of Altea.

What will be especially interesting is Alfor's interactions with his daughter, Princess Alura. Alura is one of the most important characters in every adaptation of Voltron, and her relationship to King Alfor is a major motivating factor for her.

For Cavill to get the role truly right, he'll have to balance King Alfor's wisdom with humanity and warmth. Brown has teased that Cavill's Voltron role as 'dreamy' and the film as "heartfelt... big and bodacious and dynamic," so fans can only hope that it all adds up to something great.

Despite Its Stacked Cast, Voltron Is Still Facing an Uphill Battle

While the casting of actors like Cavill and Sterling K. Brown suggests high confidence from Amazon Studios about the project's viability, it remains to be seen what the final product will look like.

Of particular note is that writer and director Rawson Marshall Thurber is primarily known for his work on comedy films such as Dodgeball. Even bigger projects like 2018's Skyscraper have a big element of camp to them.

None of that's to suggest that Thurber isn't up to the task, as Voltron is definitely no stranger to camp, but it will be interesting to see the writer/director's take on the source material. Regardless, it seems like a safe bet that Henry Cavill's King Alfor will be a highlight.