The Highlander reboot has been trapped in development purgatory for so long that it sparked doubts about its actual fruition. Nevertheless, the most recent version, featuring director Chad Stahelski of John Wick fame and actor Henry Cavill, has recently made significant strides. Henry Cavill has been loosely linked to the role of Connor MacLeod for quite a while, but now, he is shedding more light on the matter. Cavill has now begun discussing the film publicly, marking the first substantial insight into the project. 

Recently, while mapping out his upcoming escapades, Henry Cavill let slip a breadcrumb of information regarding the progress of the Highlander reboot.

Henry Cavill teased his role in Highlander 

Henry Cavill dropped a few hints about his upcoming Highlander role while chatting with ComicBook, where he also talked about his new film Argylle. He teased that his take on the part is going to be “a serious ride.” This came just after his discussion with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, where Cavill spilled more about the Highlander’s current status. When asked about his sword training for the role, Cavill shared that it is “about to begin in earnest”, keeping some specifics under wraps to avoid spoilers.

Cavill also gave a subtle hint about the Warhammer project for Prime Video, stating that it is “progressing very well“. Starting off in 1986 with a fantasy film starring Christopher Lambert, the whole Highlander craze kept rolling through the late ’90s and into the 2000s. It gave birth to four films, two live-action TV series, and a rich collection of original novels, among other narrative threads. Now, as Henry Cavill steps into the iconic Highlander reboot, it is akin to breathing new life into a cult action saga. However, it needs to take some precautionary steps. 

If the Highlander reboot with Henry Cavill is indeed on the horizon, there is room for a complete overhaul of the narrative to steer clear of the missteps that plagued the franchise in the past.

Highlander reboot should learn from the past blunders

The original film, led by Christopher Lambert, boasted a flawlessly executed high-concept premise. The storyline revolves around an immortal warrior, played by Lambert, who must engage in relentless battles with fellow immortals until only one survives. The film, a true reflection of its era, showcased outdated fashion, MTV-esque editing, and unusual casting, despite being a hit among the audience. Furthermore, the film’s deliberate indifference to laying the groundwork for a sequel eventually posed a challenge when producers insisted on one. 

This decision ultimately gave rise to one of the most expansive media franchises in its genre, featuring four movies, a TV series, an animated counterpart, and various spin-offs. While the Highlander TV show is hailed as a standout, the majority of the follow-ups were, to say the least, quite underwhelming. Now, with the long-awaited Henry Cavill-led Highlander finally underway, there is an opportunity to revamp the premise entirely and, ideally, avoid the pitfalls of the past.

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