Henry Cavill joins 'Warhammer 40,000' series at Amazon

Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Henry Cavill has joined a Warhammer 40,000 series at Amazon.

The Hollywood Reporter said Thursday that Cavill, 39, will star in and executive produce a new series based on the sci-fi fantasy miniature war game.

Deadline confirmed that Amazon has secured the global rights to Warhammer 40,000, produced by Games Workshop. The deal includes the rights to the universe across TV series, film, and possibly games and animation.

Warhammer 40,000 takes place in the far future, where human civilization must battle aliens and supernatural creatures. The original game launched in 1987 and has since expanded to include animations, novels, video games and other licensed material.

The TV series will be executive produced by Vertigo Entertainment.

"Warhammer 40,000 has captured the imagination of fans of all ages, from all walks of life, and all over the world," Amazon and MGM Studios head Jennifer Salke said. "We are excited to work with Henry, Vertigo Entertainment, and Games Workshop across our Amazon entertainment businesses on this brilliant, immersive franchise for our global customers to experience for years to come."

"I have loved Warhammer since I was a boy, making this moment truly special for me. The opportunity to shepherd this cinematic universe from its inception is quite the honor and the responsibility," Cavill added. "I couldn't be more grateful for all the hard work put in by Vertigo, Amazon Studios and Games Workshop to make this happen. One step closer to making a nigh on lifelong dream come true."

The news follows word that Cavill will no longer return as Superman in a new DC Extended Universe film. In addition, the actor will be replaced by Liam Hemsworth in Season 4 of the Netflix series The Witcher.