I Totally Forgot Henry Cavill Was In Stardust: His Character In The Neil Gaiman Movie Explained

Summary Henry Cavill's small role as Humphrey in Stardust didn't make a huge impact on the film's plot.

Cavill's breakout role wasn't in Stardust, but rather as Charles Brandon in The Tudors where he stole the show.

Despite Stardust being forgotten, Cavill's charm shone through in his role, setting the stage for his future success.

Stardust was one of my favorite cinematic experiences of the 2000s, but I totally forgot Henry Cavill was in the cast — and not because he hadn't yet achieved A-list status. Based on Neil Gaiman's 1999 novel of the same name, Stardust was my first introduction to the author's work. Gaiman is currently experiencing a surge in popularity thanks to hit streaming adaptations of Good Omens and The Sandman. I thoroughly enjoy both series, but for me, the best Gaiman adaptation is Stardust, the tale of a young man who chases a fallen star to win the heart of his beloved.

The 2010s saw Henry Cavill become a household name, and the British actor became every bit as recognizable as his famous Stardust co-stars Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Robert De Niro. This was largely thanks to Cavill playing Superman in 2012's Man of Steel, the inaugural DCEU film. It's an epic role he would reprise throughout the franchise. The actor also wowed audiences as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix's The Witcher series. 2024 saw Cavill headline the spy-comedy film Argylle, a massive box office bomb. But Cavill made Argylle worth watching — so why was his role in Stardust so forgettable?

Matthew Vaughn clearly appreciates Henry Cavill's work, as he's the director of both Stardust and Argylle.

Related Argylle 2: Will It Happen? Everything We Know Director Matthew Vaughn has big plans for his latest epic spy caper, but will his dreams of a new franchise come to fruition in Argylle 2?

Henry Cavill Played Humphrey In Stardust

Humphrey Is A Bit Part & Has Nothing To Do With Tristan's Quest

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A big reason why I forgot Henry Cavill's Stardust performance is because it's quite small. He plays the dashing yet cocky Humphrey, protagonist Tristan Thorn's (Charlie Cox) romantic rival for Victoria's (Sienna Miller) affections. When Humphrey humiliates Tristan in front of Victoria, all hope looks lost for the shy, young hero. However, when a star falls from the sky, Tristan has the opportunity to win Victoria's hand in marriage by venturing on a quest to bring it back for her.

Cavill is plenty charming in his small Stardust role, but he's nothing more than an irksome bully who has no bearing on the actual plot. Neither does Victoria, really, who's merely a vapid catalyst character. From the moment Tristan meets Yvaine (Clarie Danes), the fallen star who's actually a woman, I was swept up in their electric chemistry and rooting for them to be together.

Unsurprisingly, the romantic leads get their happily ever after, and Tristan tells Victoria that she and Humphrey deserve each other. I'd say I couldn't agree more, but I barely remembered who the two shallow village-dwellers were, despite Cavill and Miller's capable performances.

Stardust (2007) Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Stardust is a fantasy-based romantic adventure-comedy by director Matthew Vaughn and based on the original novel by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess. In the film, Tristan, a young man who lives in an English town near a magical border wall, decides to catch a fallen star to win the affection of a woman named Yvaine. However, Tristan soon learns what - or who - the star is, and a grand adventure back to England begins. Director Matthew Vaughn Release Date August 10, 2007 Cast Claire Danes , Charlie Cox , Sienna Miller , Ricky Gervais , Jason Flemyng , Rupert Everett , Peter O'Toole , Michelle Pfeiffer , Robert De Niro Runtime 128 Minutes

Cavill Was Great In Stardust — But It Wasn't His Breakout Role

The Actor Turned Heads As Charles Brandon In The Tudors

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So, Henry Cavill didn't make a huge splash in Stardust, but 2007 was still a good year for him. April 1st, 2007 saw the premiere of The Tudors, a steamy historical drama series centered on the reign of King Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). In The Tudors cast, Cavill plays Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, and Henry's best friend and ally. While the show was released before Stardust, I got into The Tudors much later, and it's the first Cavill role that really made me sit up and take notice of the actor.

Henry Cavill in The Tudors First Episode Season 1, Episode 1, "In Cold Blood" Last Episode Season 4, Episode 10, "Death of a Monarchy" # of Episodes 38

Don't get me wrong, Meyers makes for a compelling lead as the womanizing king, but Cavill hands down steals the show. Henry is the King of England, and therefore gets everything handed to him, and while Charles Brandon was also born to wealth and privilege, he also has to rely on his charisma and romantic appeal, which far outweigh his best friend's and this is largely thanks to Cavill's performance.

When The Tudors released, Cavill had been working steadily in the United Kingdom, but it was the period series that gained him attention in North America. In a YouTube interview, Cavill said,

"It's done the most for me to date... I've done more work here than I've done in England. Now that there's an audience somewhere in America that's aware of who I am, I have more sell-ability, because of The Tudors."

Cavill went on to discuss receiving more phone calls and job offers since appearing on The Tudors, though I'm sure at that moment he never expected to become the next Man of Steel. But whether he's donning a cape and saving the world or peacocking in front of Victoria in Stardust, for me, Henry Cavill will always be Charles Brandon.