This week, Henry Cavill — bad haircut and all — is back in theaters with Argylle, the new spy action comedy in which he plays the title character…who may or may not actually exist. This is Cavill’s first major theatrical film role since his cameo in Black Adam, which ended up being his last appearance as Superman.
Outside of the DCEU movies, Cavill is probably best known for his part in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, a truly great action movie that can’t be called underrated with a straight face. But when going over Cavill’s previous films to find his best underrated movies, we couldn’t help but notice that the vast majority of his early flicks are truly awful. Everyone has to start somewhere, but you’re better off sticking with our picks for the three underrated Henry Cavill movies you should watch. The alternatives were suspect at best.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
At 40 years old, Cavill has probably aged out of ever playing James Bond on the big screen. The closest he’s come is a leading role in The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Guy Ritchie’s update of a ’60s spy TV series that most moviegoers had never heard about. Cavill plays Napoleon Solo, a CIA agent who reluctantly teams up with his Russian counterpart, Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer).
The film maintains the ’60s setting of the television show, with some modern flare and an assist from undercover MI5 agent Gaby Teller (Alicia Vikander). This was one of those movies that was seemingly made to start a franchise, but couldn’t deliver on that part. As a standalone movie, it’s enjoyable action fluff.
Rent or buy The Man From U.N.C.L.E. on Prime Video and other outlets.
Enola Holmes (2020)
Cavill definitely takes a back seat to Stranger Things‘ Millie Bobby Brown in Enola Holmes, but how often does anyone get to play one of the greatest detectives in literature? Cavill’s Sherlock Holmes supports Enola (Brown) as she proves her intelligence and worth, while solving a case on her own and following in the footsteps of her famous brother.
If you feel short-changed by Cavill’s small role in this film, he does return in Enola Holmes 2. And trust us when we say that a little of Cavill in this movie is much better than the direct-to-video quality dreck that he starred in before Man of Steel.
Watch Enola Holmes on Netflix.
Immortals (2011)
You may get Clash of the Titans vibes from Immortals, especially since both films are drawn from Greek mythology. This may have also been the movie that gave Cavill the boost he needed to headline Man of Steel. In this film, he plays Theseus, the man chosen by the gods to end the dark reign of the evil King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke).
Technically, the gods aren’t supposed to be actively helping Theseus on his quest, but Poseidon (Kellan Lutz), Ares (Daniel Sharman), and even Zeus (Luke Evans) himself basically ignore that rule. Zeus even appears as an old man (as played by screen legend John Hurt), but Theseus may get more guidance from the beautiful oracle, Phaedra (Freida Pinto), if he can free her from Hyperion’s grasp.
Watch Immortals in Max.
