Guy Ritchie's R-Rated Spy Thriller With Henry Cavill Deserves Its Global Redemption On Prime Video
Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more.
Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics."
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Guy Ritchie's R-rated spy thriller is one of the most popular movies in the world, but it was not always like that, and this Henry Cavill feature deserves its streaming redemption. Cavill is a major star with a solid following. That was built over the years as he starred in massive franchises, such as Superman in the old DCEU movie universe.
Likewise, on TV, Cavill played Geralt of Rivia for three seasons of Netflix's The Witcher series. As such, the actor is no stranger to streaming hits, as his seasons of the fantasy series trended worldwide for quite some time. When you put that together with Ritchie, you get streaming gold. The director has also led many exciting films and shows, both in franchises and not.
On the list of Ritchie's best movies and TV shows are projects like two Sherlock Holmes movies and a series, Disney's live-action Aladdin remake, and many action-packed projects. Among those was The Man from U.N.C.L.E., a spy movie full of style featuring Cavill and Armie Hammer. Now, Ritchie and DC's former Superman have teamed up for another genre release.
Leading Man · Roll Camera How Well Do You Know Henry Cavill’s Filmography? “Reloading his fists.”
🦸Man of
SteelThe cape years
⚔The WitcherToss a coin
🕵The SpyAgent Walker
🔍SherlockA kinder Holmes
👑The TudorsDuke of Suffolk
01
Henry Cavill became the defining modern Superman after years of losing out on other big roles. Which 2013 Zack Snyder film launched him into the cape and tights for the first time?
✓ Correct! Man of Steel (2013) relaunched Superman for the modern era and kicked off Warner’s DC Extended Universe. Cavill had actually been a finalist for the 2006 Superman Returns job too (losing to Brandon Routh), earning him the “unluckiest man in Hollywood” label before Snyder’s film finally handed him the cape. He went on to play Superman in three more DCEU entries.
✗ Cut and reset! The answer is Man of Steel. Superman Returns (2006) starred Brandon Routh — Cavill was infamously a finalist and lost the part. Batman v Superman (2016) and Justice League (2017/2021) are the sequels that followed Man of Steel. Zack Snyder’s 2013 reboot is where the cape first landed on Cavill’s shoulders.
02
A self-confessed superfan of the source books and video games, Cavill spent three seasons on Netflix’s fantasy hit before departing in 2022 over reported creative differences. Which character did he play?
✓ Correct! Geralt of Rivia — the grizzled, white-haired monster hunter at the centre of Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels and CD Projekt Red’s games. Cavill was such a devoted fan he reportedly lobbied Netflix for the role, played the games obsessively, and pushed for more book-accurate scripts. He exited after Season 3 in 2023; Liam Hemsworth takes over as Geralt going forward.
✗ Cut and reset! The answer is Geralt of Rivia. Ciri is Geralt’s adopted Child of Surprise, Jaskier is his bard companion (the “Toss a Coin” fellow), and Vesemir is his old mentor. Cavill — a lifelong superfan of the books and CD Projekt Red’s games — lobbied hard for the role, played him for three seasons, then left in 2023.
03
Cavill’s only Mission: Impossible appearance saw him play the imposing CIA assassin August Walker — immortalised by the “reloading his fists” bicep flex. Which 2018 entry was it?
✓ Correct! Mission: Impossible — Fallout (2018), directed by Christopher McQuarrie and widely considered the best of the franchise. Cavill’s August Walker was the CIA’s muscle assigned to shadow Ethan Hunt, and the Paris bathroom fight became one of the decade’s most-quoted action set pieces. His mustache here also triggered the infamous Justice League CGI upper-lip fiasco.
✗ Cut and reset! The answer is Fallout (2018). Rogue Nation (2015), Ghost Protocol (2011), and Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) all starred Tom Cruise without Cavill. Fallout is the one with August Walker, the Paris bathroom fight, and the mustache that broke Hollywood — Cavill’s only Mission: Impossible appearance, and one of the best action films of the 2010s.
04
Cavill’s big-screen feature debut came in 2002, at age 18, in a swashbuckling adaptation of a Alexandre Dumas classic — playing the young Albert Mondego opposite Jim Caviezel’s Edmond Dantès. Which film was it?
✓ Correct! The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), directed by Kevin Reynolds. A teenage Cavill played Albert Mondego — Fernand’s son and secretly the biological son of Dantès — in what was his feature-film debut. I Capture the Castle (2003), Tristan & Isolde (2006) and Stardust (2007) all came later in his gradual climb to Hollywood leading man.
✗ Cut and reset! The answer is The Count of Monte Cristo (2002). I Capture the Castle (2003) was his second role, Tristan & Isolde (2006) his first real leading man part, and Stardust (2007) a small supporting turn. Kevin Reynolds’ Dumas adaptation was his feature debut at 18 — playing Albert Mondego opposite Jim Caviezel’s Dantès.
05
In 2015 Cavill played the smooth American spy Napoleon Solo opposite Armie Hammer’s Russian Illya Kuryakin in a stylish Cold War caper. Which director’s signature split-screen swagger gave The Man from U.N.C.L.E. its look?
✓ Correct! Guy Ritchie directed The Man from U.N.C.L.E. — injecting his trademark rapid cuts, freeze frames, and wry banter into a Cold War spy caper based on the 1960s TV show. It underperformed at the box office but built a devoted cult. Cavill and Ritchie clearly liked working together — they reunited in 2024 for The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, based on real WWII commandos.
✗ Cut and reset! The answer is Guy Ritchie. Matthew Vaughn directed Kingsman, Sam Mendes did Skyfall and Spectre, and Christopher McQuarrie is the modern Mission: Impossible helmsman. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is pure Ritchie — split-screens, overlapping dialogue, dry banter — and he and Cavill reunited for 2024’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
06
Cavill has played a notably warmer, friendlier Sherlock Holmes than either Benedict Cumberbatch or Robert Downey Jr. In which franchise — led by Millie Bobby Brown as his teenage detective sister — does he appear?
✓ Correct! Enola Holmes — Netflix’s adaptations of Nancy Springer’s novels about Sherlock’s teenage detective sister. Cavill plays a deliberately gentler, more approachable Sherlock — a warm older-brother contrast to the high-functioning-sociopath versions. He appeared in both Enola Holmes (2020) and Enola Holmes 2 (2022), stealing scenes in both alongside Millie Bobby Brown.
✗ Cut and reset! The answer is Enola Holmes. House (Hugh Laurie) is the Sherlock-inspired medical drama; Elementary (Jonny Lee Miller) is the CBS modernisation; Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) is the BBC hit. Cavill’s warmer, big-brother Sherlock appears in Netflix’s Enola Holmes franchise, opposite Millie Bobby Brown’s title character.
07
Cavill’s television breakthrough came across all four seasons (2007-2010) of Showtime’s sumptuous period drama The Tudors. He played Henry VIII’s notorious womanising best friend — which historical figure was it?
✓ Correct! Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk — the king’s closest friend and a legendary ladies’ man in real Tudor history, and Cavill’s four-year TV showcase. Jonathan Rhys Meyers played Henry VIII, James Frain was Thomas Cromwell, and Sam Neill was Cardinal Wolsey. The Tudors is what made Cavill bankable enough for Hollywood to hand him Superman a few years later.
✗ Cut and reset! The answer is Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. Henry VIII was played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Thomas Cromwell by James Frain, and Cardinal Wolsey by Sam Neill. Cavill’s Brandon — charming, loyal, serially unfaithful — ran across all four seasons from 2007 to 2010 and became the springboard to his film career.
08
Cavill’s prominent mustache for Mission: Impossible — Fallout caused one of the most infamous VFX fiascos in blockbuster history when Justice League (2017) reshoots ran into his Paramount contract. What did Warner Bros. do?
✓ Correct! Warner Bros. paid millions for VFX artists to digitally erase Cavill’s mustache during Justice League’s 2017 reshoots — because Paramount’s Fallout contract legally barred him from shaving. The result was the infamous “Cavill upper lip,” widely mocked as one of the ugliest CGI jobs in modern cinema. The 2021 Snyder Cut sidestepped the issue entirely using original footage.
✗ Cut and reset! The answer is they digitally removed it in post. Paramount had legally forbidden shaving during Fallout’s shoot, so when Joss Whedon’s Justice League reshoots required a clean-shaven Superman, Warner Bros. footed a multi-million-dollar VFX bill. The resulting “smooth upper lip” became a meme, and the Snyder Cut (2021) later quietly corrected it.
That’s a Wrap · Print It Your Leading Man Rank
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Cavill completionist — or still re-watching Fallout?
In the Grey was released in theaters on May 15, being one of the most exciting action movies of the year for fans of the genre before release. After all, not only did Ritchie direct it, but stars like Cavil, Jake Gyllenhaal, Eiza Gonzalez, and more made this an attractive thriller. In the end, the film made only $27.8 million worldwide, bombing at the box office, but it has since found new life.
In The Grey Is Another Underrated Guy Ritchie Movie
At the time of writing, In the Grey is the 5th most-watched movie on Prime Video globally, according to FlixPatrol. Ritchie's R-rated spy thriller leaves behind movies like the new Prime Video shark thriller The Devil's Mouth, Bob Odenkirk's action flick Normal, and more. Currently, In The Grey is trending on Prime Video in 16 countries. While it might not be Prime Video's most-watched movie in any of them, the new action film is still the streaming service's #2 movie in 14 nations, including Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and many more. After failing in theaters, In The Grey is a global streaming hit.
In The Grey is available on VOD platforms to buy or rent in the United States.
In The Grey continues a trend of Ritchie movies that did not do well in theaters becoming hits on streaming. Many of the director's entries tend to find a second wind when audiences check them out at home, as proven by King Arthur: Legend of the Sword being HBO Max's #5 movie in the world right now. In the Grey features a star-studded cast, boasts a high 82% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and delivers an entertaining, action-packed adventure as Cavill and Gyllenhaal's fixers embark on a mission to collect $1 billion from a criminal organization, guided by Gonzalez's Rachel Wild, a lawyer.
In the Grey adds up to the list of underrated Ritchie movies. Cavill and Gonzalez recently starred in another of those, appearing in 2024's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, which was a box office bomb but holds a near-perfect 91% RT audience score. Cavill's already mentioned The Man from U.N.C.L.E. was another of those underrated Ritchie releases, and there not being any sequels to the vibrant spy movie might have helped boost In The Grey's performance on Prime Video worldwide, as the interest in that release turned to the 2026 movie.
In The Grey's Prime Video Success Comes At The Perfect Time For Guy Ritchie
There are two reasons why In The Grey's streaming success is so timely. The first is how it continues a 226 streak for Ritchie. The director was one of the main creatives behind Prime Video's Young Sherlock, the new Sherlock Holmes prequel series that debuted earlier this year to lead the streamer's charts around the world. Young Sherlock was renewed for season 2.
The other reason In The Grey's streaming redemption comes at the right time is due to how Ritchie has another major streaming release due soon. Netflix's The Gentlemen, an action comedy series created by Ritchie and starring Theo James and Kaya Scodelario, will return with season 2 on September 3. As such, In The Grey's global streaming success should boost interest in Guy Ritchie's next streaming release.
- Release Date
- May 13, 2026
- Runtime
- 98 minutes
- Director
- Guy Ritchie
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