Highlander Remake Crowns a DCEU Powerhouse as Henry Cavill's Nemesis
Jeremy Irons has joined Chad Stahelski’s Highlander reboot as the villain opposite Henry Cavill’s Connor MacLeod, with the Amazon MGM Studios/United Artists film now delayed to 2026 after Cavill was injured in pre-production.
Highlander just landed a legit heavy: Jeremy Irons is joining the reboot as a villain. Yes, that Jeremy Irons. Also yes, this is the Henry Cavill one that was supposed to roll cameras soon… and isn’t anymore. Here’s where things stand.
Who Irons is playing
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Irons will be the guy pulling strings from the shadows.
He is the leader of a secret order called the Watchers, who monitor the immortals and view them as a threat to humanity.
That’s a very Highlander bit of lore to put front and center, and Irons feels like a perfect fit for that kind of ominous, velvet-glove menace.
The production hiccup (and it’s a big one)
The movie is set up at Amazon MGM Studios under the United Artists banner with Chad Stahelski directing. It was aiming to start filming this fall. That plan’s off. Production has been pushed to 2026 after Henry Cavill — who’s playing Connor MacLeod — was injured during pre-production. No release date yet, for obvious reasons.
The cast so far
- Henry Cavill as Connor MacLeod
- Jeremy Irons as the Watchers’ leader (the main human antagonist)
- Russell Crowe as Ramirez
- Dave Bautista as the Kurgan
- Karen Gillan as MacLeod’s wife
- Marisa Abela as MacLeod’s modern-day love interest
- Djimon Hounsou as a warrior from Africa
- Max Zhang in an undisclosed role
- Drew McIntyre in an undisclosed role
Behind the scenes
The script is by Michael Finch. Producing duties are spread across Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt for United Artists, Neal H. Moritz, Stahelski’s 87Eleven Entertainment, Josh Davis for Davis Panzer Productions, and Louise Rosner. It’s a lot of cooks, but it’s Highlander — that’s kind of the brand at this point.
A little crossover trivia
Irons and Cavill have shared a cinematic universe before: Irons played Alfred Pennyworth in the DCEU, while Cavill, of course, was Clark Kent/Superman. Irons is also an Oscar winner (Best Actor for 1990’s Reversal of Fortune) and one of those voices you hear in your head when you read a particularly ominous sentence. His resume includes The Lion King (1994), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), Dungeons & Dragons (2000), Assassin’s Creed (2016), House of Gucci (2021), The Beekeeper (2024), and plenty more.
Where to revisit the original
If you want to get back up to speed before this new one finally happens, the 1986 Highlander — directed by Russell Mulcahy and starring Christopher Lambert — is currently streaming on Prime Video, Peacock, and a few other spots. There can be only one… eventually.