Actor Dave Bautista of Dune and Guardians of the Galaxy fame is reportedly nearing taking on the role of the villainous Kurgan in John Wick director Chad Stahelski's upcoming Highlander reboot movie, which stars Henry Cavill in the lead role (via Deadline).
Interestingly enough, Bautista has been rumored to be in talks for the role since 2015 - a full 10 years ago - with IGN reporting on the rumor all the way back then when the reboot was scheduled to be directed by Cedric Nicholas Trojan.
Did it really take 10 years for Bautista to finally land the role of the Kurgan? Well, it's hard to say. The project has moved around a bit, now landing at Amazon. It's possible Bautista was indeed in negotiations back in 2015 before coming back around to the role in 2025. It's also possible that the current filmmakers were inspired by the long running rumors to actually consider the WWE wrestler turned actor for the movie.
The original 1986 Highlander kicked off a franchise centering on the adventures of actor Christopher Lambert's Connor McLeod, an immortal warrior competing to be the last undying swordsman standing in duels that only end when one combatant's head is lopped off.
The Kurgan, originally played by eternally menacing character actor Clancy Brown, is the main antagonist of the classic Highlander film, slicing, dicing, and ravaging his way through the film on a collision course with MacLeod.
Former Superman actor Henry Cavill will star as Connor MacLoed in the remake, with Russell Crowe also rumored to star, potentially as MacLeod's mentor Ramirez, played by Sean Connery in the original film.
The Highlander reboot doesn't have a release date yet. While we wait for more updates, check out our guide to the other best upcoming movies in 2025 and beyond.
