The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Cast & Character Guide

There is no shortage of World War II films out there, but this upcoming action flick might bring a twist to a moment in time that has been revisited through multiple productions. Guy Ritchie, who recently directed the Netflix series adaptation of his 2020 film The Gentlemen, will embark on a spy venture next. Based on Damien Lewis' novel, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare follows a real-life team headed by Winston Churchill who used their gun-shooting skills to detain the Nazis. A not-so-easy task is executed successfully thanks to the group's fearless leader (Henry Cavill), who doesn't shy away when it comes to killing the enemy. With a stacked cast playing this ragtag band of soldiers, it might be hard to keep on top of all the characters at first. To prep you for watching The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare in theaters, here is a handy guide to who's who in this hysterical and bloody espionage adventure.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

The British military recruits a small group of highly-skilled soldiers to strike against German forces behind enemy lines during World War II.

Henry Cavill

Gus March-Phillips

Sergeant Gus March-Phillips is the leader of the first special forces team in World War II. The character is based on a real-life British military personnel who was a key member of the Special Operations Executive (SOE). After Churchill decided to launch this spy team specialized in irregular warfare, March-Phillips became the glue that stuck everything together. In many instances in the film, it is clear how much the character loves chaos and will burst out in laughter while holding his gun at point-blank.

Henry Cavill plays the leader in Ritchie's film, and the actor is primarily known for playing Superman in the DCU prior to David Corenswet landing the role. He also starred as Geralt of Rivia in the Netflix series The Witcher. This year, Cavill led another spy film entitled Argylle, alongside Bryce Dallas Howard and John Cena. In an interview with Collider's own Steve Weintraub, he talked more about his character in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and how he came up with the sergeant's signature mustache:

The facial hair was me. That was something which I just thought, “Have some fun with it. World War II, have a crazy mustache, slightly mad characters. Let’s really lean into it.”

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare marks Cavill's second collaboration with Ritchie after having headlined the 2015 action-spy-comedy The Man From U.N.C.L.E. as Napoleon Solo. He has also already shot his third film with Ritchie, In the Grey, which is set to hit theaters in early 2025.

Eiza González

Marjorie Stewart

Marjorie Stewart is a bold agent of SOE and is considered "a secret weapon" in the team. There is no record to prove that the real-life Marjorie Stewart was part of the group. Yet, she did go on to marry Gus March-Phillips in 1942 and was later known as an actress who performed in West End plays.

Eiza González plays Marjorie in the film, and she has been versatile when it comes to onscreen projects. From her breakout roles in Baby Driver and the horror series From Dusk til Dawn to her latest sci-fi credit in 3 Body Problem, she's shown her ability to pull off several genres. In a sit-down interview with Drew Barrymore on The Drew Barrymore Show, the actress shared her experience learning to speak and sing in German for the spy film:

“I pushed for it. I worked really, really hard. I have to speak German, I have to speak Italian, I have to speak French. And then he was like, ‘Can you sing? Would you sing?’ And I was like, ‘I think I can sing.’”

While The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare marks González's first movie with Ritchie, she has already reunited with the filmmaker alongside Cavill on the aforementioned In the Grey. She is currently working with Ritchie for a third time on his other upcoming movie, Fountain of Youth.

Alan Ritchson

Anders Lassen

Anders Lassen is an agent in Operation Postmaster (headed by the SOE), who was born and raised in Denmark. According to the true events that inspired the Guy Ritchie film, Lassen received a Military Cross for his role in the operation. Throughout his lifetime he fought in and out of Europe and died at the age of 24, receiving a posthumous Victoria Cross for his bravery.

Alan Ritchson is Anders Lassen in the action project, and it isn't the first time that he has taken on a physically demanding role. Known for playing the titular character in Prime Video's Reacher, the actor has been featured in several action-packed onscreen endeavors, including Smallville, Titans, Fast X, and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The actor shared with The Hollywood Reporter that he expected even more gore from Richie's film, considering that the real Lassen was very passionate about executing his mission:

“I came into his trailer and I said, ‘Here’s my perspective on the action. Anders Lassen hated these Nazis. This was not just a dutiful soldier. This guy f*cking had a mission. He wanted to murder these guys. He didn’t just want to kill [them]. He wanted hate kills. We should see malice in the knife. It should be gory and we should expose innards as he cuts people. We shouldn’t hide anything. It should all be in your face. I was insane. He said he would think about it.”

Ritchson's upcoming projects include Reacher Season 3, and the action-comedies The Man With The Bag and Playdate.

Alex Pettyfer

Geoffrey Appleyard

Geoffrey Appleyard is an agent who takes part in Operation Postmaster. The real Geoffrey Appleyard was previously linked to the Royal Army Service Corps and the British Expeditionary Force before joining the ragtag band of soldiers.

Alex Pettyfer plays the character in the film, and he has previously starred in I Am Number Four and The I-Land. According to the actor in a Collider interview, he was previously considered for the role of Gus March-Philipps before Cavill landed the part.

Well, originally, I was playing Henry's character and Henry was playing mine, and through the dialogue we just managed to switch characters. [Laughs] But I think there is a beauty to what Guy does. I think when you come in and there's a spontaneity, it brings a freshness, and we're all in the same boat. There's a real collaborative experience when you are sitting there and it's not necessarily the scenes that are changing, but just the interaction between the characters. It's the first time that I've gone on to a movie and haven't done any prep, and built a character with a director and the rest of the cast, and what a fun experience that is.

Hero Fiennes Tiffin

Henry Hayes

Henry Hayes (known in real life as Graham Hayes) was also a key member of Operation Postmaster. Like Lassen, after the mission he received a Military Cross for his service. The film will also follow the character in Operation Aquatint, in which he was one of the few who were able to make it out in time before the German patrol arrived. The real Henry Hayes went on the run after that and was subject to solitary confinement until he was executed in 1943.

Hero Fiennes Tiffin plays Henry Hayes, and this role is a departure from previous projects he's been cast in. From playing Hardin, the bad boy in the After franchise, to playing the young version of Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the actor is finally tackling an action role in Richie's film.

Henry Golding

Freddy Alvarez

Freddy Alvarez is one of the "chaos-loving" members of the SOE and is known by the bunch as "the saboteur".

Henry Golding plays Freddy Alvarez after having previously worked with Richie in The Gentlemen movie. Yet, he is predominantly known for his rom-com credits, including the beloved Crazy Rich Asians and Last Christmas. He will be seen next in Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2, the sci-fi romance Daniela Forever, and the sequels to The Old Guard and A Simple Favor.

Babs Olusanmokun

Mr. Heron

Mr. Heron is an undercover spy, like the rest of the SOE, and he's got a few tricks up his sleeve. Throughout the film, he constantly interacts with Marjorie, and together they are able to cause havoc.

Babs Olusanmokun plays Mr. Heron in the film and he has been linked to a few sci-fi titles, including Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the Dune franchise. This marks Olusanmokun's second collaboration with Ritchie after Wrath of Man in 2021.

The film also stars Cary Elwes as Brigadier Gubbins 'M', Til Schweiger as Henrich Luhr, Henrique Zaga and Captain Binea, and Freddie Fox as Ian Fleming.

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare will arrive in theaters on April 19, 2024.

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