From Court Rogue to Kingmaker: Henry Cavill’s Evolution on The Tudors
Forget the capes — Henry Cavill’s fiercest work may be The Tudors, where his Charles Brandon evolves from courtly rogue to hardened statesman with magnetic intensity. A career benchmark, it pairs star power with one of his richest, most fully realized character arcs.
Before he was Superman or a monster hunter, Henry Cavill did a stretch on Showtime that still might be his best TV work. The Tudors gives him something rare in modern genre TV: a full, clean character arc with an ending that actually lands.
Charles Brandon: the most dangerous wingman at court
Cavill plays Charles Brandon, the first Duke of Suffolk and King Henry VIII's closest friend. At the start, Brandon is the charming disaster we all recognize from period dramas: impulsive, a serial flirt, and protected by proximity to the crown. He coasts on loyalty and privilege, racks up affairs, and shrugs off responsibility because he can.
Then he does the one thing even best friends should not do: in seasons 1 and 2, he secretly marries Henry's sister, Princess Margaret Tudor, without asking the King. Cue banishment from court and a serious chill in the bromance. The bond holds, though, and Henry eventually forgives him.
The turn: rake to statesman
As the series darkens and Henry's court gets bloodier, Brandon grows up. He becomes a seasoned military commander and a senior official, takes on heavier duties, and learns where the line is with the King. When orders come down, he carries them out even when his gut says otherwise.
Importantly, unlike the power climbers around him (Thomas Cromwell, for one), Brandon actually has a conscience. He plays a role in the falls of Cardinal Wolsey and Anne Boleyn, yet the accumulating executions and betrayals wear on him. The show also digs into his home life in later seasons: his marriages and his role as a father give the character dimension beyond court politics. He knows his own flaws, too. That impulsive royal marriage? He sees the damage it caused. After Margaret's death, remorse becomes a real turning point.
By the back half of the run, he has shifted from brash upstart to weary survivor, disillusioned by the blood on the floor but still unshakably loyal to Henry. And unlike many in Tudor England, he keeps the King's favor to the very end, outliving plenty of rivals cut down by Henry's moods.
The finish line actually feels like a finish line
Created by Michael Hirst, The Tudors tracks Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) through foreign conflicts, court intrigue, and his fateful meeting with Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer) while still married to Catherine of Aragon (Maria Doyle Kennedy). Brandon enters as a playboy whose constant cheating poisons his marriage; over time, and especially after marrying Catherine Willoughby, he settles into something resembling wisdom.
The final stretch is where Cavill really eats. Henry is failing physically, and Brandon is quietly battling an illness of his own. Their last meeting is two old friends looking back at the chaos they survived. Brandon dies in episode 9, "Sight of God." Henry follows in the finale. It is tidy, reflective, and earned. Brandon ends up the show's moral anchor: loyal, emotionally intelligent, and humble in a universe that rewards the opposite.
Cavill, fan favorite (for good reason)
Cavill doesn't just keep up with the leads; he steals focus. Fans still single out Brandon as one of the show's best characters, often more beloved than the King himself. And yes, it's hard not to notice: this series gives Cavill the kind of complete, thoughtful sendoff that The Witcher did not.
Quick stats and where to watch
- The Tudors runs 4 seasons, 2007–2010
- IMDb: 8.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 69% Tomatometer, 83% Audience Score
- Streaming: Hulu and Amazon Prime Video (all four seasons are currently on Amazon Prime Video)
If you only know Cavill from capes and swords, this is the one to queue up. It's the rare character study that lets him swagger, stumble, and finally grow up on screen.