When asked to recall the plot of any given Mission: Impossible film, most viewers will likely recount whichever death-defying stunt Tom Cruise pulled off that year. They’re woven from fun action scenes, chase sequences, and the occasional double-cross. The films are generally praised for their performances, with excellent ensemble casts embodying likable characters. Henry Cavill’s brief role in the franchise lit up the sixth entry.
Cavill’s performance in Mission: Impossible – Fallout made headlines for two reasons having little to do with his character. He sported a mustache in the film, which he was unwilling to shave for his Justice League reshoots. This led to an unsightly CGI upper lip that made those scenes hilariously obvious. Cavill’s character also swings his arms in a gesture many interpreted as the character reloading his biceps. Though he was likely only freeing his fists from his sleeves, the moment will live forever in animated GIFs.
Who does Henry Cavill play in Mission: Impossible – Fallout?
Henry Cavill appears as the main antagonist of Mission: Impossible – Fallout, August Walker. Though he does most of the evil deeds in the film, the real villain of the franchise is, as usual, the United States government. Little is known about Walker’s early life. He was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 on May 5th, 1983. Walker was one of the highest-ranking officers in the CIA. The agency praised his abilities as an assassin and frequently used him to eliminate high-value targets. As a member of the CIA’s Special Activities Division, Walker is tasked with working alongside Ethan Hunt to capture a terrorist named John Lark. Lark has issued an apocalyptic manifesto in which he announces his desire to wipe out most of the people on Earth, bring an end to religion, and remake the world in a violent trial by fire. Unfortunately, Walker is Lark. He’s a brilliant infiltrator and a master of deception with a laundry list of grudges against the United States government. Though he’s working with Ethan Hunt to catch himself, Walker remains one of the most polite characters in the franchise. working with Ethan Hunt
Walker has secretly aligned himself with the Apostles, a secretive organization formed from the remnants of the Syndicate. The Apostles are staffed entirely with rogue agents from various international espionage organizations. Walker is no exception, but his violent anti-theist motivation sees him hiring the Apostles to steal plutonium cores. Walker simultaneously works alongside Hunt to mislead the IMF’s efforts to catch him. Walker is almost offputtingly polite in most interactions, but he is also far more fond of direct confrontation than his fellow spies. He is seen as the hammer to Ethan Hunt’s scalpel. Hunt saves Walker’s life during a skydiving accident. The two seem to respect each other, but Hunt is critical to Walker’s plan.
Walker spends a lot of his time convincing the IMF and other espionage organizations that Hunt is secretly John Lark. He argues that the IMF has disavowed and endangered Hunt so many times that his violent response was inevitable. When the twist is revealed, it becomes clear that Walker is speaking about himself while describing Hunt’s experience. Despite his lies, he provides a great excuse. Hunt has repeatedly been betrayed by the organization he serves. Walker can be seen as a dark mirror to Ethan Hunt. Rather than valuing every life and working to maintain peace, Walker attempts to find the root of all conflict and cut it off at the start. The hammer and scalpel metaphor extends to their overall goals. While Ethan Hunt wants to diagnose problems and carefully cut them away, Walker is the kind of man who prefers to smash things until they are fixed.
What happens to Henry Cavill’s character?
Hunt and his team trick Walker into admitting that he is John Lark. They disguise field agent Benji Dunn as Apostles leader Solomon Lane. With his deception revealed, Walker 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s CIA director Alan Hunley. Hunt pursues Walker, but the terrorist threatens Hunt’s estranged wife. Walker flees to Kashmir, where he intends to detonate the plutonium and contaminate the water supply of the most populated region in the world. Walker believes that the governments of Earth will band together to solve the problem. Walker and Lane set the bombs. Hunt’s team disarms one of them, but Hunt tracks down Walker to take the detonator. Walker is 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed in the final battle. He is dragged off a cliff into an exploding helicopter.
Henry Cavill portrays a fun twist villain with the slightest hint of depth. The film doesn’t spend a ton of time on his ideology, least of all exploring how his actions would help him accomplish his goals. August Walker is a solid threat for the sixth entry in this stunt-driven franchise. Mission: Impossible – Fallout is seen as one of the best entries in the franchise. Henry Cavill is more than a fancy mustache and a freshly reloaded pair of arms, after all.
