When the original Highlander made its way to the big screen in 1986, the film’s sweeping ballad from Queen asked the audience “Who wants to live forever?” Cut to looking ahead from the 2025 movie schedule, and the answer I’m tempted to give is, “Anyone who wanted to see Henry Cavill’s Highlander reboot actually happen.”
Well it doesn’t seem like it’ll be that long before director Chad Stahelski’s vision will be in front of us, especially since Russell Crowe has now been drafted into a pretty impressive role. The casting coup, announced by Collider, suggests that Cavill’s Kryptonian father from Man of Steel will be playing fellow immortal Ramirez; which is perfect – despite the obvious racial difference.
Played by Sean Connery in the original, Ramirez is the man who helps Highlander protagonist Connor MacLeod adjust to the tradition of decimating his fellow immortals, until there’s only one. Because, you see, there can only be one.
Henry Cavill’s role as Connor (originally played by Christopher Lambert) would put him in line to once again learn from the Gladiator legend, and potentially for longer than they worked together in Man of Steel. Which, again, is a reason to get excited about Russell Crowe’s potential place in this new round of beheadings.
Highlander’s supposed attention to lore that’s excited its geeky lead in the past. Admittedly, that’s the sort of news that distracts one from wondering about Highlander’s previous budget concerns, which saw the film fall into limbo before Amazon-MGM Studios stepped in.
What’s even more fun to ponder is how, after watching the trailer for 1986’s Highlander, it sounds like Sean Connery saying some things that Crowe may or may not have said in Zack Snyder’s 2013 DC reboot. Take a look for yourself, and tell me I’m wrong:
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Look, if Chad Stahelski doesn’t at least consider Adam Lambert and Queen for the soundtrack to Highlander’s reboot, what are we even doing here? If Russell Crowe’s casting does happen to be for Ramirez, he and Henry Cavill have clearly shown their love for the original film’s spirit. That only makes my hypothetical suggestion above more valid, because who else are you going to trust with “Princes of the Universe?” I thought so.
At the moment, there’s still a lot of moving pieces in play for Highlander to happen. With production aiming to start this fall, there’s a chance that 2026 or 2027 will see the next era of these immortals hitting the big screen. That is, of course, if Mr. Cavill’s Warhammer 40,000 adaptation doesn’t get in the way. So now with two thirds of the major characters seemingly cast, one question will be occupying our minds until it’s answered: who in the hell is going to play the Kurgan?!