Henry Cavill-led Highlander reboot's latest villain addition will blow your mind (& it is an MCU star)

The untitled Highlander reboot received a major update on August 7, 2025. The reboot led by the DCEU Superman actor Henry Cavill found its villain in Dave Bautista, who is known for playing Drax in James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Bautista's casting in the movie has fans excited because he was a popular choice for the role of the main villain, Kurgan, for a while.

Moreover, the villain's casting is a signal to the fans that they can expect the long-in-development Highlander reboot to begin filming soon. If the cameras were to start rolling on the movie, it would be the first theatrically released movie in the franchise after the last one was released in cinema halls back in 2000. However, Dave Bautista's inclusion in the movie is significant for another reason.

Dave Bautista was almost cast as Kurgan in a different version of the Highlander reboot a decade ago

While the casting became official this week, the Drax actor was associated with the villain of Highlander all the way back in 2015. He was close to signing the deal to play the same villain in the version of the reboot, which was to be directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan and produced by Summit Entertainment. But it fell apart, and Bautista had to walk away.

Now, a decade later, it feels like a full-circle moment that the actor, who is also the former wrestler, has returned to play the role of a character he was cast as a decade ago. That being said, if your idea of Bautista is colored by Drax the Destroyer, you need to remember that the actor has played villains in the past, with his turn in M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin being a standout.

Apart from that, the actor was already the top choice to play Kurgan in the Henry Cavill-headlined reboot even before he was officially cast. Thus, his casting choice seems to have the confidence of fans, as Cavill is already a fan favorite to play the role of the titular character.

Who stars in the reboot?

As mentioned earlier, the beloved action fantasy franchise reboot is headlined by Henry Cavill. After playing Superman and Geralt in The Witcher, Cavill is set to headline another fantasy franchise. In recent months, we have learned about this reboot. Other than Cavill, the movie stars his Man of Steel co-star, Russell Crowe, and now, Dave Bautista has joined the movie as the main villain.

What is the reboot about?

In a May 2025 Collider interview, director Chad Stahelski, who is helming the reboot, said this:

“If everything works out in the next 24 hours, we'll be shooting sometime in September. And in 2027 or 2028, you’ll be watching Highlander.”

Other than Stahelski, even Cavill spoke about the reboot in The Hollywood Reporter interview published on July 30, 2025. In that interview, the British actor went on to reveal that he is solely focused on the Chad Stahelski-directed movie:

"Highlander! That is taking all of my focus. It’s a project that I’m extremely excited about. This character is going to be a lot of fun to play, and I’m loving working with Chad Stahelski. He is a very talented man."

How do you feel about Dave Bautista joining the fantasy franchise? Let us know.

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