Henry Cavill’s ‘Highlander’ Reboot Adds ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ & ‘Avengers’ Star To Its Cast

Karen Gillan has officially joined the cast of Amazon MGM’s remake of Highlander, the cult classic from the 1980s. The actress is best known for playing Nebula, the cybernetic alien in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers movies.

She also starred in Sony’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level, with a third movie in the works. If Highlander succeeds, it could become her third major franchise.

The Highlander reboot has been a long time in the making. David Abramowitz, the writer and executive producer of Highlander: The Series, was reported to have polished the film’s script back in 2013. Cedric Nicolas-Troyan was hired to direct later that year. In 2014, the studio reportedly considered Tom Cruise for the role of Ramirez, but Cruise was busy with Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. James Jaysen Bryhan was later rumored to play Ramirez.

In 2015, former wrestler Dave Bautista was cast as The Kurgan, the savage warrior. The project went through several changes in directors and scripts over the years. Chad Stahelski was confirmed as the director in November 2016, with Ryan J. Condal contributing to the screenplay. Since June 2020, the reboot has been in “heavy development mode,” according to reports.

Henry Cavill entered talks for a lead role in May 2021, though his character wasn’t revealed until two years later. In June 2025, Russell Crowe signed on to play Ramirez. Cavill is set to star as MacLeod, Stahelski is still directing, and Mike Finch is handling the screenplay.

The film reportedly has a budget over $100 million, with producers Joshua Davis, Moritz, Stahelski, and Louise Rosner attached.

The confirmed cast now includes Henry Cavill as MacLeod, Russell Crowe as Ramirez, Dave Bautista as The Kurgan, and Marisa Abela from Industry in a leading role. Karen Gillan’s addition adds even more star power.

Fans are already excited to see this modern take on Highlander. Combining action veterans like Cavill and Bautista with rising stars like Gillan and Abela, the reboot promises big battles, intense sword fights, and a fresh spin on a beloved classic.

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