Dave Bautista Feels The Heat Taking On The Kurgan In The Highlander Reboot

Dave Bautista just signed on to play the Kurgan in Chad Stahelski's Highlander remake, and he is very aware he is stepping into a legendary pair of boots. He is excited, but also sweating it a bit — and honestly, fair.

Bautista on inheriting the Kurgan

Talking to MovieWeb, Bautista admitted he is feeling the heat. He loves the original, he knows Clancy Brown set the standard as the Kurgan, and yes, he is clocking the age thing — Brown did it in his 20s; Bautista is in his 50s now.

'No pressure at all, right? Man, I am stressed about this, because I am such a fan of the original... Clancy Brown was in his 20s when he was the Kurgan. I am in my 50s. I hope I can do the world justice.'

He also stressed this will not be a carbon copy. Stahelski wants to keep the spirit and the characters intact while updating the whole thing for how action movies play now. Think the jump John Wick gave gunfights, but applied to swords and immortals. The fight design is meant to be dialed way up, and the characters have to rise to that level.

So who is who this time?

• Henry Cavill is Connor MacLeod, the Medieval Scottish Highlander who discovers he is immortal and ends up battling other immortals across time.
• Russell Crowe plays Ramirez, the swordsman who trains MacLeod.
• Dave Bautista is the Kurgan, the iconic villain role Clancy Brown made famous.
• Karen Gillan is MacLeod's Scottish wife.
• Marisa Abela plays his modern-day love interest.
• Djimon Hounsou is an immortal warrior from Africa.
• Jeremy Irons is the leader of the Watchers, a secret order monitoring immortals and treating them like a potential threat to humanity.
• Max Zhang (Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy) is aboard in a role they're not revealing yet.
• WWE star Drew McIntyre plays Angus MacLeod, Connor's brother.
• Recent additions: Kevin McKidd, Siobhan Cullen, Jun Jong-seo, and Nassim Lyes.

Where the production stands

The plan was to start filming in the fall, but Henry Cavill was injured during training and the schedule shifted. The current expectation is to get cameras rolling in early 2026. When it does go, the shoot will span Scotland, England, and Hong Kong — which should make for some very pretty beheading weather.

Bottom line: Bautista knows the Kurgan comes with baggage (the fun kind), Stahelski is aiming to keep the soul and supercharge the swordplay, and the cast list is stacked. If they stick the landing, this could be a big, swaggering update instead of just another swing at a classic.