After years of swords clashing in development limbo, the Highlander reboot is finally gearing up to swing into production—and Henry Cavill just confirmed he’s sharpening his blade. The former Man of Steel star told The Hollywood Reporter that his “big summer plans” are entirely focused on Highlander, the long-gestating fantasy action reboot being helmed by John Wick director Chad Stahelski. Cavill is set to lead the Amazon Studios epic as the immortal warrior at the heart of the franchise—and he couldn’t be more thrilled.
“Highlander! That is taking all of my focus. It’s a project that I’m extremely excited about. This character is going to be a lot of fun to play, and I’m loving working with Chad Stahelski. He is a very talented man.”
Fans had already speculated that Cavill’s newly rugged, long-haired look might be for the role—and now it’s official. After multiple false starts over the past decade, including an earlier version with Ryan Reynolds once attached, Highlander is finally happening, with production set to begin later this year.
For Stahelski, Cavill was the perfect casting choice. “My selling point to [Henry] was, look, you’ve got a guy that’s been alive for over 500 years. He’s the last person in the world that wanted to be in this situation. So you get to cover quite a broad spread of a character arc… and you get to experience someone that’s trained over 500 years and sort of played [with many types of] martial arts.”
What Else Do We Know About ‘Highlander’?
As if Cavill’s casting weren’t enough to hype longtime fans, Highlander will also reunite the British actor with his Man of Steel co-star Russell Crowe. Crowe, who played Jor-El in Zack Snyder’s Superman saga, has been widely rumored to be stepping into the shows of MacLeod’s mentor—originally portrayed by Sean Connery in the original film—as the elegant but deadly Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez. Makes sense, he isn’t Egyptian-Spanish, either.
The original Highlander, starring Christopher Lambert and Clancy Brown, spawned four sequels, three TV spinoffs, and an animated series. But the franchise never recaptured the energy of the first film. With Cavill at the center and Stahelski behind the camera, this reboot is primed to bring a new generation into the mythos—potentially with better choreography, more world-building, and fewer confusing timelines.
Stay tuned to Collider for more exclusive updates as Highlander prepares to roll cameras in Scotland this fall.
Highlander
- Writers
-
Michael Finch
- Producers
-
Neal H. Moritz
- Franchise(s)
-
Highlander
Source: THR
