Djimon Hounsou Joins Henry Cavill's HIGHLANDER Remake As Another Immortal - But Is He A Friend Or Foe?

Djimon Hounsou Joins Henry Cavill's HIGHLANDER Remake As Another Immortal - But Is He A Friend Or Foe?

Guardians of the Galaxy and Shazam! actor Djimon Hounsou is the latest addition to Amazon MGM's Highlander reboot starring Henry Cavill.

By MarkJulian - Sep 06, 2025 01:09 PM EST
Filed Under: Fantasy
Source: SFFGazette.com

Veteran action and drama star Djimon Hounsou, best known for GladiatorGuardians of the Galaxy, and Shazam!, is the latest actor to join Amazon MGM and Henry Cavill's Highlander reboot.

Cavill has previously described the film as a personal passion project as he grew up watching the movies and TV series.

The reboot will see Cavill taking on the role of Connor MacLeod, a role previously played by the venerable Christopher Lambert.

Russell Crowe (Gladiator) is set to portray Ramirez, a character previously brought to life  by Sean Connery, while the "#1 wrestler-turned-actor" Dave Bautista is signed on and said to be portraying the infamous villain, the Kurgan (previously portrayed by Clancy Brown). 

Each of these aforementioned characters are immortal warriors from various regions and eras, locked in an ancient struggle to become the last immortal standing in an age-old contest where the only way to win is to behead your opponent.

Additional cast includes another Guardians alum, Karen Gillan, who has been cast as Heather MacLeod- Conno's wife in ancient times, while Marisa Abela has an undisclosed role, speculated to be Connor's modern-day love interest. Hounsou is slated to play an immortal warrior from Africa.

In the original film, there was an immortal from Ethiopia named Sunda Kastagir, played by Hugh Quarshie, who was a friend and ally of Connor MacLeod. While not specified, Hounsou could be portraying a version of this character. Before taking on Connor after his return, the Kurgan defeated Kastagir rather handily. 

Principal photography on the Highlander remake is slated to begin at the end of September.

John Wick (John Wick franchise) is directing from a script penned by Michael Finch (John Wick: Chapter 4). 

In addition to donning the mantle of an immortal swordsman, Cavill is also leading the charge on Amazon’s ambitious adaptation of Warhammer 40,000, where he will not only star but also serve as a creative force behind the development of the franchise’s first cinematic universe. The grimdark sci-fi property, beloved by fans worldwide, marks one of Cavill’s most personal and monumental undertakings.

Cavill is also attached to MGM’s upcoming live-action Voltron movie, continuing his evolution as a powerhouse presence in the world of fantasy and science fiction.

The Highlander franchise began with the cult 1986 film starring Christopher Lambert as Scottish warrior Connor MacLeod, and quickly grew into a multi-generational saga.

The story centers on a hidden race of immortals living secretly among humans.

These beings are locked in a centuries-spanning battle known as The Gathering, where the only path to victory is through decapitation.

The last surviving immortal is said to gain immense power, though the origins of their ancient battle remain mysterious.

The immortals live by three sacred rules:

  • No fighting on holy ground 
  • All duels must be one-on-one 
  • In the end, there can be only one

It spawned four sequels and truly hit its stride with the 1992 television series, which introduced Adrian Paul as Duncan MacLeod.

Running for six seasons and 119 episodes, the show solidified Highlander as a cornerstone of fantasy television, even inspiring two spin-off series.

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WalletsClosed
WalletsClosed - 9/6/2025, 2:00 PM
This will be better than every CBM of the last couple of years
HistoryofMatt
HistoryofMatt - 9/6/2025, 2:12 PM
They really should bring Duncan into this world as well.
JonAwesome
JonAwesome - 9/6/2025, 4:03 PM
@HistoryofMatt - who would be a good Duncan MacLeod
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/6/2025, 2:34 PM
Nice , Djimon is still one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood imo so it’s nice to always see him pop up stuff!!.

Given the brief description we have , it definitely seems like he’ll play Sunda Kastagir or perhaps a more expanded version of that character since the one in the original film was only in it for a scene or 2 (though I enjoyed the one he had with Connor).

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Anyway , it’s a nice cast being assembled for this so far thus looking forward to the film especially with Chad Stahelski at the helm!!.
Bucky74
Bucky74 - 9/6/2025, 3:36 PM
He’s good in everything so it’s a nice addition. Probably going to get killed by t he Kurgen though.

I’m a Big Fan of the original film and series and like Cavil so bring it on! Batista can’t touch Clancy Brown’s Kurgen though - There can be only one!
JonAwesome
JonAwesome - 9/6/2025, 4:03 PM
@Bucky74 - yeah especially since Batista slimmed down a lot!
Bucky74
Bucky74 - 9/6/2025, 4:50 PM
@JonAwesome - Agreed. At least the old Batista had the physical presence.
Brown’s Kurgen is a tough act to follow to begin with
FinnishDude
FinnishDude - 9/6/2025, 4:38 PM
Again, an amazing talent hired for a supporting role, while the lead can't act his way out of a paperbag.
Bucky74
Bucky74 - 9/6/2025, 4:55 PM
@FinnishDude - He may not have the best range, but Cavil does stoic, brooding, and charming really well and has the leading man “look” down. He can also do the stunts and swordplay. He’ll make a great Connor
DarkOak
DarkOak - 9/6/2025, 5:17 PM
Am very excited for all the projects Cavill is working on.
PartyKiller
PartyKiller - 9/6/2025, 5:17 PM
Black actors can't be the bad guys.

He'll be a saint.

Bad thing for black actors is it deprives them of playing great truly evil villains.

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