Shortly after word broke that Henry Cavill was in talks for a starring role in an upcomingHighlanderreboot, the actor personally confirmed that he’s got the part. In the works at Lionsgate, the reboot is helmed byJohn Wickseries director Chad Stahelski. Neal H. Moritz, Josh Davis, and David Leitch are producing with Amanda Lewis, Patrick Wachsberger, and Gregory Widen executive producing.
It was reported on Friday thatHenry Cavillwas being “eyed” for the role, but that’s not exactly an official confirmation. Not wanting to leave it to rumor, Cavill took to Instagram to comment on the news, posting an image of the original Deadline report along with his response. Here’s what the actor had to say in the caption.
“Very exciting news today! I’ve been a fan ofHighlandersince I was lad. From the movies in all of their 80s, Queen slathered glory to the TV show with an actor who looked remarkably like one of my brothers. Being not shy with swords, and having a director as talented as Chad Stahelski at the helm, this is an opportunity like no other. Deep diving into franchise storytelling with all the tools at our disposal, is going to make this an adventure I (and hopefully all of you) shall never forget.”
A second image posted by Cavill reveals a dagger, bottle, and these two books:Those Bloody Kilts: The Highland Soldier in the Great WarandSo You’re Going to Wear the Kilt: All You Want to Know About Tartan Dress. To that, the actor adds:
“And as you’re able to see from the swipe, I’ve lately been dipping into some of my Scottish heritage, and inadvertently getting my base line research underway!”
It’s not exactly clear if Cavill will be playing Connor MacLeod, the character played by Christopher Lambert in the original movie, or someone else entirely. Because he’s looking into how to properly wear a kilt, it would certainly make sense for him to be Connor, or a similar character at the least. As of now, no other names have yet been announced as a part of the cast, but don’t expect to see Clancy Brown back as the Kurgan.
“Oh, no. My character’s dead. He got his head cut off,” Brown told ComicBook.com last year, though he added he was anticipating the new movie. “I’mlooking forward to the reboot. I hope it gets done. I can’t wait. I would love to see it, but I don’t have any aspirations to be part of that franchise… It was of its time. There’s no reason for me to [return], I did my time. I did my bit. It’s time for other people to have fun with it.”
Cavill might be best known for his role as Superman in DCEU movies likeMan of SteelandJustice League, but he’s also established himself with a lead role in another popular franchise. He playsGeralt of Riviain the hit Netflix seriesThe Witcherwhich recently wrapped its second season after a tumultuous production. Season 2 is expected to arrive on Netflix in late 2021. No word yet on theHighlanderreboot release date. This news comes to us fromHenry Cavill on Instagram.
