TV & Beyond on 2025-05-11 19:45:00

Chad Stahelski’s long-awaited and ever-intriguing reboot of “Highlander,” which returns to the Scottish Isles and brings a new take on the story of Connor MacLeod, a Scotsman from the 16th century who dies, only to come back to life and discover that he’s an immortal like a handful of others. From here, he’s tasked with fighting other warriors until the end of time or until one of them lops his head off.

Now, while we’re all for seeing Ritchson in the hero role of anything he could put his name to, the job of the Highlander has been on Henry Cavill’s to-do list since 2021. Instead, the best place to put Ritchson in this story that’s set to span 500 years is clashing blades with Cavill as the franchise’s iconic burly, barbaric villain, The Kurgan, initially played by Clancy Brown, and the kind of movie monster Ritchson would be perfect for.

The Kurgan was made for Alan Ritchson to face off with Henry Cavill’s Highlander

The Kurgan in full armor in Highlander

20th Century Studios

Legend has it that during his time on set as The Kurgan in the original “Highlander” film, Clancy Brown’s dead-skinned, unhinged appearance put cast and crew on edge for how intimidating he looked. That’s the kind of threat the already screen-filling Cavill needs to be facing off against in his version of the film, and who better than his former team member in “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” Alan Ritchson?

Having already displayed a decent amount of chemistry in the Guy Ritchie WWII film, seeing these two on screen together would make for a great draw in “Highlander,” particularly if they’re at odds with one another. Both have immense experience in the action genre, and more importantly, Ritchson has proven to be an unstoppable force in “Reacher,” pummeling bad guys into paste with ease. Stick a sword in his hand to do the same job, and you can bet he’d sell enjoying the idea of chopping heads off and loving it all the same.

For three seasons, the newly appointed “Reacher” has kept a very straight face while cracking down on illegal operations and turning small towns upside down to get the job done. Now imagine him doing the same but with a far crazier look in his eye and loving every second of it. Throwing that at Cavill’s tortured man struggling through the centuries would be stupidly entertaining, particularly if they’re swinging swords under Chad Stahelski’s carefully choreographed direction.

Alan Ritchson could be very good at being bad in Highlander

Alan Ritchson in Fast X talking

Universal

If there was one highlight in “Fast X” besides Jason Momoa chewing up the scenery like a muscular Joker, it was Alan Ritchson throwing his weight around and proving to be the kind of big, mean screen dweller that we were even luckier to see given that the role of Aimes was originally intended for Keanu Reeves. With that in mind, taking on The Kurgan could not only provide him with an interesting avenue to go by, but also set up a showcase of the best bits that make Alan Ritchson so great to see on screen. Matching the polished physicality he’s consistently delivered with the likes of “Reacher” and “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” with perhaps even the unhinged but entertaining elements he gave us with “Blue Mountain State,” Ritchson’s Kurgan could be a force to be reckoned with.

Above all, though, that combination could provide the kind of iconic villain that we haven’t had in a while. The kind that we fear and love to see our hero throw down with, but secretly hope makes it to the end of the film and perhaps even a sequel. Ritchson has made “Reacher” his own and is still campaigning to take on the Caped Crusader (which we fully back), but maybe The Kurgan is the under-the-radar role that he could work wonders on. Go on, Stahelski, we know there can be only one Connor MacLeod in Henry Cavill, but there may be one great Kurgan in Alan Ritchson as well.

TV & Beyond on 2025-05-11 19:45:00

The Kurgan was made for Alan Ritchson to face off with Henry Cavill’s Highlander

Alan Ritchson could be very good at being bad in Highlander

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