Highlanders never die—they just get remade. And this time, they’ve recruited an Oscar winner to bring gravitas to the immortals’ battlefield. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Jeremy Irons has joined Chad Stahelski’s long-gestating Highlander remake at Amazon MGM Studios’ United Artists. He’ll play the leader of The Watchers, a shadowy order keeping tabs on immortals while plotting to protect humanity from their endless duels.
Henry Cavill, already confirmed as Connor MacLeod, is the film’s cornerstone. But after suffering an injury during pre-production, the actor’s recovery has pushed filming back to 2026. For fans, it’s a frustrating wait—the project was initially set to roll cameras this fall—but the casting of Irons feels like a reminder that the production isn’t fading into development limbo.
Irons is no stranger to mythic clashes. He gave Shakespearean heft to Alfred Pennyworth in the DCEU alongside Cavill’s Superman, and before that, he won the Academy Award for Reversal of Fortune (1990). His résumé runs from Disney’s The Lion King (1994) to the cult chaos of Dungeons & Dragons (2000) and the more recent House of Gucci (2021) and The Beekeeper (2024). If Cavill is the physical embodiment of MacLeod, Irons offers the cerebral menace—a strategist rather than a sword-swinger.
The new Highlander has lined up an ensemble that borders on epic. Russell Crowe steps in as Ramirez, the mentor role once defined by Sean Connery. Dave Bautista takes on The Kurgen, the brute force antagonist. Karen Gillan has been tapped to play MacLeod’s wife, with Industry breakout Marisa Abela as his modern romantic partner. Djimon Hounsou will embody a warrior from Africa, while Max Zhang and pro-wrestler Drew McIntyre add further steel to the cast.
Behind the camera, Stahelski—fresh from redefining action choreography with the John Wick series—aims to fuse sword-and-sorcery mythos with hard-edged spectacle. Michael Finch provides the script, while producers include Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbitt for United Artists, Neal H. Moritz, Stahelski’s own 87Eleven Entertainment, Josh Davis of Davis Panzer Productions, and Louise Rosner.
The delay to 2026 is a blow, but it also signals that Stahelski is determined to mount this revival on his terms, rather than rush it into theaters. For a franchise built on the mantra “There can be only one,” patience feels oddly appropriate.
Meanwhile, the 1986 original—directed by Russell Mulcahy and starring Christopher Lambert—is streaming now on Prime Video, Peacock, and several other platforms. It remains a strange, moody hybrid of rock opera and mythic swordplay, its Queen soundtrack still echoing across decades of cult fandom.
Why This Casting Matters
- Oscar pedigree meets cult fantasy: Jeremy Irons injects a level of credibility and darkness that most reboots can’t buy.
- DCEU connection: His history with Cavill adds an odd, meta-textural dimension—Batman’s butler versus Superman in another universe.
- Expanded ensemble: With Crowe, Bautista, Gillan, and Hounsou, Stahelski is stacking the film with heavyweight performers.
- Delayed but alive: The production setback may sting, but the new casting keeps momentum alive.
- Legacy on the line: The remake carries the burden of a franchise that has been both adored and ridiculed for nearly 40 years.
A release date for Stahelski’s Highlander has not yet been announced. Production is expected to begin in 2026 following Cavill’s recovery. Until then, the immortals wait, blades drawn in the shadows.
