Rebel Moon's Trailer Has Shades Of Warhammer 40k With No Henry Cavill In Sight
When news broke about Henry Cavill bringing "Warhammer 40k" to Amazon Prime, fans were ecstatic to see the untapped potential of the brutal universe adapted for the screen. Unfortunately, while we wait for the series to come to fruition, it seems Zack Snyder and Netflix have beaten them to the punch, as "Rebel Moon" brings shades of the "Warhammer 40k" universe to the streaming service.
As part of "Opening Night Live," Netflix and Snyder released the "Rebel Moon" official teaser, and it didn't take long for the "Warhammer 40k" comparisons to come flooding in. Right off the bat, the war-torn world of Snyder's upcoming project gives off similar vibes to the famed miniature wargame, with both universes featuring futuristic weaponry and an overpowering imperial regime. Interestingly, Snyder named that empire the Imperium, mimicking a similar faction within "Warhammer" called the Imperium of Man, or Imperium for short.
Diving deeper into "Rebel Moon," the trailer gives many looks at the Imperium's soldiers, with many of the guards looking like the Imperial Guard of "Warhammer," taking a similar inspiration from 20th-century German regimes. As if that wasn't clear enough, the more formal soldiers within Snyder's Imperium bare a strange resemblance to the Imperial Commissars of "Warhammer." Not to mention Fra Fee's character, Regent Balisarius, is one step away from Belisarius Cawl, one of the ruling lords of Mars in "Warhammer."
Warhammer fans point out many similarities in the Rebel Moon trailer
Zack Snyder has previously admitted that "Rebel Moon" began as a "Star Wars" pitch, and at "Opening Night Live," the director listed movies like "The Magnificent Seven" and the fantasy magazine "Heavy Metal" as other inspirations. However, there was no mention of "Warhammer 40k," despite "Rebel Moon" sharing many similarities, but some "Warhammer" fans certainly think the upcoming movie took inspiration from the miniature wargame.
As far back as two years ago, when Zack Snyder released a concept image of "Rebel Moon," u/Inevitable-Badger-28 took to Reddit to point out the similarities to "Warhammer." "Is it me or does Zack Snyder's new film 'Rebel Moon' look like Krieg troops with a commissar," they wrote on the r/Warhammer40k subreddit. U/snowvix was willing to give Snyder the benefit of the doubt, answering, "This is because Krieg is inspired by 1910s Imperial German Army," suggesting the director took a similar inspiration. However, one user wasn't willing to offer a similar sentiment, writing, "Snyder shamelessly rips off so many things. So probably."
Unfortunately, the reality is, unless Snyder himself comes out and says it, it will remain unclear whether or not "Rebel Moon" took any inspiration from "Warhammer 40k." It certainly seems like it did, which could only further fuel fans' excitement, but as of now, Snyder hasn't brought up the miniature wargame as a source. In a recent interview, the director doubled down on the "Heavy Metal" inspiration, adding John Boorman's "Excalibur" as he wanted "Rebel Moon" to blend fantasy and sci-fi (per /Film).
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