A new rumor claims that Games Workshop introduced female Adeptus Custodes in order to pave the way for Amazon MGM Studios’ upcoming Warhammer 40K series that is being helmed by Henry Cavill.
Codex: Adeptus Custodes (2024), Black Library
The female Custodes are to be introduced in the upcoming Codex: Adeptus Custodes. An excerpt from the book details, “Custodian Calladayce Taorvalia Kesh stood upon the bridge of a Cobra-class destroyer. Named Vigilant Flame, the warship belonged to the mighty Battlefleet Solar.
She lingered in the shadows at the back of the bridge, positioned at a spot where she could observe the actions of every crew member be they in the instrumentation pits, at the armament shrines or — in the case of Shipmaster Lethwyck — stood ramrod straight before his command throne.”
An excerpt from a Codex: Adeptus Custodes (2024), Black Library
Another excerpt states, “Kesh was warned before anyone else aboard, sensing a sudden empyric energy spike coupled with the surge of overpressure and sharp temperature drop that presaged a teleport strike. Her guardian spear was levelled and armed before the first cry of alarm or howl of a klaxon rang through the bridge.”
An excerpt from a Warhammer codex
The official Warhammer social media account not only confirmed the excerpts, but gaslit hobbyists and enthusiasts writing on X, “Since the first of the Ten Thousand were created, there have always been female Custodians.”
Warhammer on X
Now, this new rumor, which comes via an anonymous poster on 4Chan, claims, “Female custodes are only going to be mentioned in the codex. No new sculpts or characters after the fact. Social media department jumped the gun and tried to put out fires with the wrong hose.”
The alleged leaker adds, “Intent is to push female custodes character in Amazon show without it ‘breaking lore’ because Amazon execs wanted a woman in power armor and wouldn’t settle for [Sisters of Battle].
People involved in the show are pissed because they’ve been moving ahead on Eisenhorn. Talks of inserting said female custodes into Eisenhorn story with Cavill threatening to walk away from the project. Small stock drop today, but GW figures it can ride it out if it stays mum on the subject. They really need better social media employees.”
“Cavill will be in an article due to ‘heading to GW to work on the new series’ this week or next,” the leaker added. “If he leaves, it’ll be a noticeable hit to the share price, meaning the show is dead (good ending) or Amazon is calling the shots (bad ending [not black Chogorians but similar scenario]) You can trust me, my dad works at Nintendo.”
Screenshot of alleged Warhammer 40K leak
The original poster appeared to respond to a number of other users and claimed that a number of employees at Games Workshop will be let go over the introduction of female Adeptus Custodes.
The alleged leaker stated, “Nothing was inked when Cavill announced it and it sent everyone at GW into a panic. Shareholders put an immediate stop to any work until the contract was hammered out and the negotiations were brutal.
If it could impact profits on the minis, GW didn’t want to touch it, which is why this Custodes thing was a dumpster fire. People who should have known about it didn’t, and success or not, people are going to be let go.”
The leaker also made it clear the move to include female Adeptus Custodes had everything to do with the show and that Amazon did not want Sisters of Silence because they do not speak and that the Sisters of Battle are apparently too religious “and Amazon thinks it’ll be a turn off.”
Furthermore, the leaker stated, “The female inquisitor in power armor was the last hope, but Amazon wants to be able to take the character out of the armor and still have them to be powerful. It’s all been a massive headache.”
Screenshot of alleged Warhammer 40K leak
The leaker also added in another post some details about a female Custodes being introduced into Amazon’s alleged adaptation of Eisenhorn, “It was going to happen during the scene where Eisenhorn gets debriefed by the space marines, a very quick reveal, maybe one or two lines and then never mentioned again.
The story is going to be told in a past tense ‘recollection’ format so they could have the scene happen at the start of the story. It was going to be the big progressivism smash hit to generate press. That’s why it’s only going to be in the codex, so when it happened they could say ‘it’s lore accurate, it was in official publications’ when said press happened.”
Screenshot of alleged Warhammer 40K leak
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Amazon demanded more representation for this Warhammer 40K project. Amazon announced their Inclusion and Policy Playbook back in June 2021 with a press release stating, “These guides offer detailed and actionable recommendations as Amazon Studios continues to seek out stories and storytelling that amplify voices across race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability (including mental health), body size, gender, gender identity, and gender expression for the global Prime Video audience.”
The company’s Executive Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Amazon Studios Latasha Gillespie explained their purpose at the time, “Amazon Studios has long prioritized telling innovative and inclusive stories from a diverse range of creative talent, delighting our global audiences. We wanted to move beyond good intentions to creating mechanisms that hold us accountable to a high bar. This Inclusion Policy and Inclusion Playbook adds important, additional depth and guidance for our internal teams and external partners to ensure we continue to advance our shared mission of amplifying the best creatives and content around the world.”
Sophia Nomvete as Princess Disa in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022), Amazon Studios
Head of Amazon Studios Jennifer Salke also stated, “With the establishment of our Inclusion Policy and Inclusion Playbook, Amazon Studios has committed itself to being a thought and action leader in the transformation of our industry.”
She added, “We know how much work there is to be done to improve representation both on camera and behind the scenes, and it starts at home, with us. With clear directives and a commitment to accountability, these guides provide a path toward a more equitable future, both on- and off-camera.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 15: (L-R) Vernon Sanders, Head of Global TV of Amazon Studios, and Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios attends “The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power” Los Angeles Red Carpet Premiere & Screening on August 15, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Prime Video)
As part of the press release, Amazon Studios made it clear what their goals were with the policy and playbook:
Each film or series with a creative team of three or more people in above-the-line roles (Directors, Writers, Producers) should ideally include a minimum 30% women and 30% members of an underrepresented racial/ethnic group. This aspirational goal will increase to 50% by 2024.
Casting actors whose identity (gender, gender identity, nationality, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability) aligns with the character they will be playing.
Aiming to include one character from each of the following categories in speaking roles, with minimum 50% of these to be women: LGBTQIA+, person with a disability, and three regionally underrepresented race/ethnic/cultural groups. A single character can fulfill one or more of these identities.
Seeking at least three bids from vendors or suppliers on productions, one of which must be from a woman-owned business and one from a minority-owned business.
Pay equity across casting, behind the camera staff and crew, and for vendors and suppliers.
In fact, the company noted they would be grading each production based on their policy and the playbook, “Amazon Studios will provide a report template for each production to indicate whether these expectations were met, that will be submitted within one month of the completion of principal photography.”
Furthermore, the press release shared, “Through the setting of goals and tracking of adherence to these policies, Amazon Studios expands its commitment to increasing representation on camera and behind the scenes, contributing to efforts to move the industry forward to a more inclusive future.”
Pictured (L-R): Zoë Robins (Nynaeve al’Meara), Barney Harris (Mat Cauthon), Daniel Henney (Lan Mondragoran), Rosamund Pike (Moiraine Damodred), Madeleine Madden (Egwene al’Vere), Josha Stradowski (Rand al’Thor), Marcus Rutherford (Perrin Aybara) in The Wheel of Time (2021), Amazon Studios
Specifically discussing the playbook, the press release stated, “The Inclusion Playbook puts in place intentional practices to minimize and disrupt biases, providing specific guidance that will help everyone within and working with Amazon Studios to meet the expectations set in the Inclusion Policy.”
It added, “The Playbook provides direction on how to make inclusive decisions, while telling authentic stories and hiring the best people for the job; knowledge of where to go for help, including tools to make inclusive decisions; tools to identify criteria for making creative choices, leading to balanced, consistent and informed decisions; and ways to foster curiosity and ask questions to disrupt the status quo about ‘how things are done.’”
It also shared the Policy and Playbook were created with radical activists, “Amazon Studios worked closely with Dr. Stacy Smith and Dr. Katherine Pieper of USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, and with Brenda Robinson of the International Documentary Association and Gamechanger Films on the creation of the Policy and Playbook. The studio also consulted with leading organizations devoted to advancing the visibility and responsible depictions of underrepresented or marginalized people, including GLAAD, Illuminative, Think Tank for Inclusion & Equity, and the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund.”
Aya Cash as Stormfront in The Boys (2020), Amazon Studios
An exposé done by Film Threat’s Chris Gore highlight Amazon’s Inclusion Policy and Playbook’s website, Customer & Content Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility.
The cited policy states, “We work to consistently delight all segments of our audience. We aim to do this in two ways: First, by seeking out stories that amplify the voices of characters across race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability (including mental health), body size, gender, gender identity, and gender expression. Second, by bringing these often underrepresented or misrepresented characters to life in an inclusive production environment.”
As for the playbook, one section labeled script-based descriptions and stereotypes questions providing descriptions of characters, “Is there a reason to specify a character’s gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+ identity, or disability in the script? Does source material specify a character’s identity in any way? Are you deviating from that depiction? Why or why not?”
Furthermore, it asks, “Are there places where you should specify information about the characters’ background or identity (gender identity, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender expression, or disability) to help with casting? Consider sharing this information only if it is needed for the story.”
Power Suit and Aaron Moten (Maximus) in “Fallout”
Another section labeled stereotypes & humor questions, “Ask the fundamental question: Are you the right person to tell this story and/or these jokes? Begin by thinking about whether, as the storyteller, your humor comes from outside or inside the group at the center of the comedy. Out-group members using humor to mock or joke about characters from underrepresented groups can be highly problematic.”
It continues, “Humor may reflect insensitivity, play to broad stereotypes, and reinforce historical tropes for members of underrepresented groups. Creators might try to challenge or spotlight stereotypes that have been oppressive—in other words, the comedy stems from good intentions. But content lacks authenticity when it doesn’t come from or take into account the perspectives of the in-group members at the core of the stereotype or context.”
Lenny Henry as Sadoc Burrows and Beau Cassidy in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022), Amazon Studios
In another section labeled Race and ethnicity it states, “Including creative voices from the community is the best and most precise way to avoid stereotyping, but all people are prone to stereotypes and bias. Below are questions to act as speed bumps in the storytelling process, to avoid common stereotypes.
It then has a list of questions for black, Hispanic, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Native characters. As an example here are the questions for black characters:
Are they shown in connection to violence, either as perpetrators or victims, particularly gang violence?
Are they linked to storylines that focus on drugs and addiction or sexual promiscuity?
Are they shown as a member of a family unit in ways that do not center on broken homes, single parents, or other aspects of family life that foreground difficulty rather than joy?
Are they presented in positions that are linked to entertaining others?
Overall, in your story are they primarily dealing with hardships and difficulties that are linked to their race/ethnicity rather than to the plot?
Avienda played by Ayoola Smart, Perrin Aybara played by Marcus Rutherford in The Wheel of Time (2023), Prime Video
Ironically, when it comes to casting the policy portion of the document claims, “The story comes first. The Inclusion Policy recommends casting characters from all backgrounds, as long as it does not compromise the authenticity of the narrative. For example, when a movie or series focuses on a particular racial/ethnic group, or is set in a homogenous context or location, it will be exempted from the requirements to diversify casting.”
Furthermore, it states, “Amazon Studios is committed to authentic portrayals. It is our intention, whenever possible, to cast actors in a role whose identity aligns with the identity of the character they will be playing (by gender, gender identity, nationality, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability) and in particular when the character is a member of an underrepresented group/identity.”
This portion of the policy was clearly not adhered to when it came to Amazon Studios’ productions of The Wheel of Time and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in Reacher (2023), Prime Video
However, it does indicate they do indeed have quotas, “To reduce invisibility in entertainment, and where the story allows, we aim to include one character from each of the following categories for speaking roles of any size, and at minimum 50% of the total of these should be women: (1) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or gender non-conforming / non-binary; (2) person with a disability; and (3) three regionally underrepresented racial/ethnic/cultural groups (e.g. in the US, three of the following: Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Middle Eastern/North African, or Asian / Pacific Islander or Multi-Racial). A single character can fulfill one or more of these identities.”
Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Queen Regent Míriel, Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir, and Charlie Vickers as Halbrand in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022), Amazon Studios
What do you make of this rumor regarding the creation of a female Adeptus Custodes?
