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Henry Cavill’s Highlander Remake Casts Dave Bautista as Villain in Epic Fantasy Showdown
The remake will be helmed by Chad Stahelski, the action maestro behind the John Wick franchise. Russell Crowe will portray Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez — the wise, sword-wielding mentor role famously played by Sean Connery in the original.
The long-anticipated Highlander remake is finally swinging into action — and it’s packing serious star power. Henry Cavill will lead the Amazon MGM Studios reboot as immortal warrior Connor MacLeod, and now former Marvel star Dave Bautista has joined the cast as the film’s formidable antagonist, Kurgan.
Deadline confirms Dave Bautista’s casting, stepping into the role originally brought to life by Clancy Brown in the cult-classic 1986 film. Known for his turn as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, Bautista is set to bring a brutal, physical presence to the centuries-old rival who has hunted other immortals across time.
A Star-Studded Cast
The Highlander remake already boasts an impressive lineup. Russell Crowe will portray Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez — the wise, sword-wielding mentor role famously played by Sean Connery in the original. Rising star Marisa Abela has been cast in an original role created for the reboot, adding a fresh dynamic to the film’s narrative.
Henry Cavill, who recently hung up his Superman cape and left The Witcher, has expressed excitement about playing Connor MacLeod, a Scottish warrior cursed — or blessed — with immortality. His on-screen clash with Dave Bautista’s Kurgan promises to be one of the most anticipated action duels in modern fantasy cinema.
A Director with a Vision
The remake will be helmed by Chad Stahelski, the action maestro behind the John Wick franchise. Chad Stahelski has been attached to the project for nearly a decade, calling it a “passion project” rooted in his admiration for the original’s blend of myth, romance, and sword-fighting spectacle.
“I’ve been a huge fan of the original property since I saw it in high school,” Chad Stahelski previously shared. “It has such great themes of immortality, love, and identity, all wrapped up in colorful mythology. It’s the perfect canvas for creating interesting characters, mythic themes, and jaw-dropping action sequences.”
Filming is set to begin next month, marking a major milestone for a project that has been in development since 2008.
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Balancing Nostalgia and Innovation
Fans are eager to see how faithfully the remake will follow the original Highlander, which famously proclaimed, “There can be only one.” While the 1986 film left parts of its world-building to the imagination, the modern version may expand on the lore of the immortals and the mysterious Prize they battle to claim.
With Stahelski’s action pedigree, Cavill’s physicality, and Bautista’s imposing screen presence, this new Highlander could become a blockbuster blend of intense swordplay, sweeping fantasy, and emotional storytelling.
For long-time fans and newcomers alike, the duel between Henry Cavill’s MacLeod and Dave Bautista’s Kurgan might just become the defining movie showdown of 2026.
