There can only be one, and Henry Cavill looks ready to become the new Connor MacLeod. As shooting for John Wick filmmaker Chad Stahelski’s Highlander reboot officially begins, the former Man of Steel star has shared first-look images of himself as the immortal warrior, played by Christopher Lambert in the 1986 classic.
“Happy First Look for Highlander,” writes the 42-year-old on Instagram. “This has been quite the journey for me, which I’ll tell you all about when the time is right, but it’s a special moment to be able to share this. I hope you enjoy.”
The first photo features Cavill dressed in a stylish leather duster coat, while the second shows him wielding a sword – likely a katana, just like in the original – and both evoke the look and tone of the John Wick films. The post also hints at two different settings, previously revealed to be Hong Kong and New York.
While story specifics remain under wraps, Stahelski’s vague description offers some clues: “We’re bringing it forward from the early 1500s in the highlands to the beyond present-day New York and Hong Kong, and seeing how it goes. There’s a big opportunity for action.”
“So you get to cover quite a broad spread of a character arc there. And you get to experience someone that’s trained over 500 years and sort of played [with many types of] martial arts,” he added, referring to Cavill’s role as a 500-year-old martial artist.
The Highlander reboot isn’t attached to a release date, but has been in the works since 2021. Since then, it has encountered several setbacks, including a delayed production after Cavill sustained a leg injury last year while training for the film.
Joining him on the adventure are Russell Crowe (Gladiator) as Connor’s mentor Ramirez; Jeremy Irons as the leader of a secret order called the Watchers; Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy) as an antagonistic immortal known as the Kurgen; Marisa Abela (Back to Black) as MacLeod’s modern romantic interest; Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy) as his Scottish and mortal wife; Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond) as an immortal warrior from Africa; and Max Zhang and Drew McIntyre in unspecified roles. Michael Finch, who worked on John Wick: Chapter 4, wrote the script.
The original film starred Lambert and Clancy Brown as the opposing immortals, who fought to be the last one standing across interwoven past and present-day storylines. Following a sequel in 1991, the franchise spawned more sequels, TV series, and spin-off novels over the years.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
