The Scottish Warrior is heading into battle with Henry Cavill. Deadline has confirmed that two-time WWE champion Drew McIntyre has been cast in John Wick director Chad Stahelski‘s upcoming Highlander remake opposite the Man of Steel star in the role of MacLeod‘s brother, Angus MacLeod. His casting comes amid a delay in production for the long-awaited film, as Cavill recovers from an injury he incurred during pre-production. When things get underway, though, McIntyre will join a stacked roster that also includes Russell Crowe, Marisa Abela, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, Max Zhang, and Dave Bautista.
In the original Christopher Lambert-led Highlander, Angus was Connor MacLeod’s cousin and the chief of their clan, whose brief role involved sparing MacLeod’s life and exiling him after he was discovered to be an immortal warrior. It’s unknown at this time how the part has changed now that the pair are siblings, but it could mean a closer connection and greater presence of the character in the story. Michael Finch wrote the screenplay based on the 1986 cult fantasy hit, which follows Connor as he discovers his immortality and clashes with other similar beings across the ages to claim a coveted ability. Although it should follow similar beats, Stahelski has said it will mostly depict events in the run-up to The Gathering and will take viewers into the present day, with plenty of deep lore from the franchise.
Though he’s mostly known for his work in the ring, McIntyre has dabbled in acting before. Highlander will mark a reunion for him with Bautista, a two-time WWE champ himself who starred alongside the WWE superstar in his feature debut in The Killer’s Game in 2024. He also has a connection to Stahelski, previously working with the director’s 87Eleven stunt and action team. Given his Scottish heritage, he’s a fitting addition to the fantasy epic, which spans back to the 1500s Scottish highlands and will eventually take MacLeod to other locales throughout the world, like New York and Hong Kong.
Bautista Was “Blown Away” By the ‘Highlander’ Reboot Script
Bautista, for his part, lobbied hard to play MacLeod‘s notorious enemy, The Kurgan, in Stahelski‘s reboot. In a previous interview with Collider‘s Steve Weintraub for his most recent film, Afterburn, he shared his love for the role, originally embodied by Clancy Brown, and his general desire to play the villain both on-screen and in the ring. Once he landed the part and received the script, he was impressed with what Finch had constructed based on not just the original but the entire franchise. Without giving too much away, Bautista conveyed the sheer scale of the film and teased something much more than just a remake — an action-packed, narratively rich love letter to all things Highlander.
“I was so blown away by the script because, without saying too much, this is such a great reboot. We’re still paying tribute and giving a nod to the original, but making it new and fresh and exciting, and also just universe-building. It’s just so much bigger than the original. The action is on par with John Wick. I’m afraid I’m going to say too much. I don’t want to give anything away, but I think people are going to be blown away by this because it’s bigger than you imagine, and it’s new enough that you won’t be seeing the same thing. If you saw the original, you’re still not going to know what the story is.”
Highlander is now set to begin filming in Scotland early next year.
via Collider