Action fans have been waiting for what feels like an eternity for Henry Cavill and John Wick director Chad Stahelski’s reboot of the ‘80s fantasy action classic, Highlander. But as more details and cast members have been revealed, it’s sounding more and more like the wait will have been well and truly worth it. And the latest addition is certainly no exception.
After flailing around in development hell for years upon years and having previously cast Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds in the lead, the Highlander reboot is finally happening with Cavill in the lead. And the reboot has now amassed a stellar cast alongside the former Superman, including Cavill’s Man of Steel co-star Russell Crowe and MCU alumni Dave Bautista, Djimon Hounsou, and Karen Gillan, with the latest casting addition promising all manner of martial arts action.
Chinese actor and martial artist Max Zhang (aka, Jin Zhang) has now been added to the world of Highlander (via Deadline). Best known for his work as a stunt actor on the wuxia masterpiece Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Zhang has had starring roles in the likes of The Grandmaster, Ip Man 3, Kill Zone 2, Pacific Rim: Uprising, and Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy. All of which confirms that Cavill will have his hands full (and better have his fists and feet ready) when fighting to survive and win “The Prize.”
The ‘Highlander’ Reboot Will Swap Swords for Full-on Martial Arts Action
The Highlander reboot is expected to follow a similar plot to the 1986 original, which follows swordsman Connor MacLeod as he discovers that he is one of a number of immortal warriors who can be killed only by beheading. After living somewhat peacefully for several centuries, MacLeod settles in New York City and is soon dragged back onto the battlefield when his greatest enemy returns to kill him and thus obtain the mysterious “Prize.” The reboot, however, will make a few changes, with Stahelski having previously revealed that the story will transform Cavill’s immortal into 500-year-old expert martial arts master.
“My selling point was, to [Henry Cavill], look, you’ve got a guy that’s been alive for over 500 years. He’s the last person in the world that wanted to be in this situation. So you get to cover quite a broad spread of a character arc there. And you get to experience someone that’s trained over 500 years and sort of played [with many types of] martial arts…
And we’re bringing it forward from the early 1500s in the highlands to the beyond present-day New York and Hong Kong, and seeing how it goes. There’s big opportunity for action. There’s a chance to play a character that not a lot of people get to play. And it’s a bit of a love story, but not how you think. On ‘John Wick,’ I learned a lot on how to bend the storytelling a little… another kind of myth.”
Highlander is expected to be released in 2027 courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios’ United Artists.
