Henry Cavill’s Highlander Has Fans Saying the Same Thing
First-look images from Henry Cavill’s Highlander reboot have ignited a frenzy, and fans are remarkably aligned on his new look — and what it signals for the cult classic’s long-awaited return.
Henry Cavill just unsheathed the first look at his Highlander reboot, and the internet did the internet thing: a lot of hype, a lot of sword emojis, and a surprising amount of optimism. It helps that he looks like he was born holding a broadsword.
The first look: Cavill, a sword, two cities
Cavill dropped two official images on Instagram, posing with a sword in what looks like Hong Kong and New York. It reads like a world tour for immortal grudges. He kept the caption short and a little sentimental:
"Happy First Look for Highlander! 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."
That "quite the journey" line likely nods to the leg injury he picked up in 2025 while training for the movie, which pushed things back. The production is now up and running and aiming for a 2027 theatrical release.
What story are they telling this time?
Director Chad Stahelski says they are stretching the timeline from the early 1500s in the Scottish Highlands all the way past present day, with New York and Hong Kong as major stops. He also teased a love story angle (not the obvious kind) and a mythic, slightly remixed approach to the storytelling that he credits to lessons learned on John Wick. As for Cavill's character: he is very much the reluctant type who has had centuries to get terrifyingly good at staying alive.
Who is Cavill playing?
A 500-year-old immortal warrior trained across multiple martial arts disciplines, carrying forward the core idea of the 1986 cult classic that made Christopher Lambert a head-chopping legend. Different era, new scope, same basic rules: there can be only one.
The vibe check: fans are into it
Reactions on X were mostly positive, with a lot of cautious hope and some full-blown hype. Common themes: Cavill is a strong fit, the look works, and Stahelski plus swordplay could mean polished, brutally elegant action. One post basically predicted artful carnage; another declared this has big "peak cinema" energy. The consensus: this pairing makes sense.
Cast check
- Henry Cavill
- Russell Crowe
- Dave Bautista
- Karen Gillan
- Marisa Abela
- Djimon Hounsou
- Max Zhang
- Drew McIntyre as Angus MacLeod
The rollout
Filming is happening now, with 2027 circled for theaters. Stahelski told The Direct the story hops centuries and continents, with New York and Hong Kong heavily in the mix. Between the global scale and that Wick-honed action brain, the first images make it pretty clear they are going big. So far, fans seem ready to meet them there.