In the midst of his DC glory days in 2017, Henry Cavill shed his superhero garb for the war-torn sands of Iraq. After wrapping up Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice the previous year, the British actor made a rather surprising move by opting to portray a hardened veteran, Captain Syverson in Sand Castle. A far cry from his usual hero roles, he embodied the grim reality of a war’s toll as a disillusioned lost soul. 

To achieve the effect of a broken man, Cavill underwent a massive transformation physically and also character-wise as revealed by the flick’s director. 

The changes Henry Cavill underwent for Sand Castle

In an interview with Omelete from 2016, Fernando Coimbra gave his take on working with Cavill. He revealed that to turn him into a convincing army captain, they “changed his look completely.” By the end, he looked “almost unrecognizable” in his buzz cut and big bushy beard. According to Coimbra, the 40-year-old was “very simple and humble” which made him low-maintenance and malleable. 

The Man of Steel actor had been keen to “make the film” as soon as “he read the script” which signaled his dedication to the director. Apparently, he was ready to dabble in an “independent film” after doing a couple of big-banner comic book movies. Though not the protagonist, Cavill’s Syverson serves as a cynical counterpoint, forcing viewers to confront the war’s brutal truths.

Almost six years after Sand Castle, which was his last war flick, Cavill is finally appearing in another flick that highlights a different aspect of war. 

Cavill’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare character

Unlike Sand Castle’s reproachful take on war, Cavill’s upcoming war drama, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare highlights the need for characters like Cavill in times of conflict through a narrative based on real life. The Argylle actor bursts onto the scene as an agent, who, along with his team of quirky characters, led the world’s first special forces mission during the Second World War. 

One thing that his character has in common with Sand Castle’s Captain Syverson is a physical transformation through a comical mustache which he himself deemed “twirly wirly”. Meanwhile, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is directed by Guy Ritchie, who also helmed Cavill’s much acclaimed first-ever war flick, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. So fans can expect another banger from the Cavill-led movie when it comes out in April this year!

What do you think about the Sand Castle director’s comments on Cavill’s transformation? Share your thoughts in the comments.