From Krypton to Katana: Can Henry Cavill's Highlander Reboot Rewrite His Superman Legacy?
As David Corenswet steps into the cape, Henry Cavill’s era still has fans in its grip—comic-accuracy debates aside, he delivered the director’s vision and looked born to wear the S, a benchmark many still swear by.
Henry Cavill has headlined two massive franchises and somehow still hasn't gotten the role that lets him truly cash the check his screen presence writes. With James Gunn rebuilding DC around a new Superman and David Corenswet wearing the cape next, Cavill's eyes are on a different prize: a Highlander reboot that, on paper, looks like the cleanest shot he's had at a definitive leading-man win.
How we got here: Superman soared, then stalled
Back in the Zack Snyder era, Cavill's Superman was a lightning rod. Some folks argued he wasn't comic-accurate; others loved the brooding, modern take. Either way, he did exactly what those films asked him to do, and the guy looked born to wear the S. Snyder's DC run had bright spots like Man of Steel and Wonder Woman, but the overall universe kept tripping over itself. For a lot of fans, the Snyder Cut of Justice League was the high-water mark, yet the franchise had already taken too many hits to keep going.
Warner Bros. eventually hit the reset button and handed the keys to James Gunn, which means Corenswet is now taking on Superman and Snyder's teased ending — that apocalyptic 'Knightmare' glimpse of a corrupted Kal-El — is probably never getting paid off. If you were waiting to see Cavill go full dark Superman, that ship has sailed.
Then there was The Witcher
Netflix's The Witcher made Cavill a fantasy icon all over again — and yes, the grumpy Geralt grunt became a meme for a reason — but the situation got messy. The show is officially based on Andrzej Sapkowski's books (even if most viewers met the world through the games), and Cavill is famously precious about lore. The exact reason he left hasn't been confirmed, but the widespread chatter was creative differences over how closely the series should stick to the source material. Whatever the truth, Cavill walked away from another giant gig. The upside: both roles supercharged his profile. The downside: neither character reached their full potential with him in the lead.
Why Highlander might finally be the one
Enter the reboot. Cavill is set to lead as immortal swordsman Connor MacLeod, which already feels like a tailor-made fit for a guy who treats action training like a second job. And the package around him is promising.
- Chad Stahelski is directing. The John Wick filmmaker knows how to build a clean, propulsive star vehicle and actually stick the landing.
- Casting signals they're thinking about authenticity. Reports have linked Karen Gillan to the project — she's Scottish — which is a nice touch for a Highlander story.
- The supporting bench sounds beefy. Russell Crowe has been floated as part of the ensemble — yes, Superman's cinematic dad Jor-El — which is a fun little circle-back.
- Cavill seems all-in physically. There have even been reports he picked up a training injury prepping for the role, which, while not ideal, usually means the sword work is going to be serious.
All of that adds up to a rare, uncluttered runway for Cavill: a singular protagonist, a director with action pedigree, and a mythology that actually benefits from a modern refresh. If this clicks, it could be the first time one of his franchise leads fully cashes out onscreen instead of getting sidelined by bigger-universe turbulence or back-half creative drift.
Where to revisit the Cavill era right now
In the U.S., Man of Steel is streaming on Max (formerly HBO Max), and The Witcher is on Netflix. Handy if you want to do some homework before the head-chopping immortals show up.