Henry Cavill is back as a swordfighting hero in first Highlander footage, and it could fix the Geralt of Rivia-shaped hole in my heart

I know it's been years, but I'm still mourning Henry Cavill's exit as Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher. But, with the reports of the new Highlander footage at CinemaCon, I think there may be a silver lining to the actor's exit after all.

The former Superman star is leading the reboot as an immortal, sword-wielding Scottish warrior who finds himself destined to fight endlessly with others of his kind. Directed by John Wick's Chad Stahelski, it's been described as "John Wick with swords", and the first footage seems to live up to that comparison.

Set to Queen's 'We Will Rock You', the footage reportedly begins with Cavill declaring in a Scottish accent, "My name is Connor MacLeod. I was born in 1518. And I am immortal." The clip, which is a mix of behind-the-scenes interviews and in-film sequences, then goes into several neon-streaked fight scenes. Per The Wrap, there are also motorcycle shots, Cavill practicing swordfighting choreography, and huge practical sets.

In almost every report I've seen, too, there has been lots of praise for the fight scenes that Cavill and Stahelski have been putting together. It's left me so excited to see the former Superman actor back on our screens in some epic action sequences, which I've been sorely missing since he exited The Witcher back in 2022.

Liam Hemsworth has since taken over the role, and while he has proved a worthy successor, the early season fights with Cavill as Geralt of Rivia remain some of the best I've ever seen on screen. That one-shot Blaviken market scene that saw the monster hunter take down a gang of thugs? Unparalleled in my opinion.

So if we can get even a glimpse of that in the upcoming Highlander, I think it just might start to heal my Witcher woes once and for all.

Highlander is filming now but doesn't have a release date yet. While we wait for more news, check out all of the upcoming movies coming in 2026 and beyond.