Henry Cavill's Witcher Replacement Is One Of The Most Exciting Fantasy Events Of The 2020s

Published Sep 7, 2026, 2:30 PM EDT Shawn S. Lealos is an entertainment writer who is a voting member of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle. He has written for Screen Rant, CBR, ComicBook, The Direct, The Sportster, Chud, 411mania, Renegade Cinema, Yahoo Movies, and many more. Shawn has a bachelor's degree in professional writing and a minor in film studies from the University of Oklahoma. He also has won numerous awards, including several Columbia Gold Circle Awards and an SPJ honor. He also wrote Dollar Deal: The Story of the Stephen King Dollar Baby Filmmakers, the first official book about the Dollar Baby film program. Shawn is also currently writing his first fiction novel under a pen name, based in the fantasy genre. To learn more, visit his website at shawnlealos.net. Henry Cavill left his role as Geralt on Netflix's The Witcher only to learn that he was losing his role as Superman in the DCEU when James Gunn took control. It didn't take long for Cavill to find his new franchise, and it is one of the most popular franchises in the fantasy genre over the last four decades. Cavill has done a lot in his career, from roles in the DCEU to a villain role in Mission: Impossible - Fallout to The Witcher itself, with its high fantasy leanings. Up next, Cavill is headed to two different franchises, with roles in the sci-fi movie Voltron and the fantasy reboot of Highlander. While Voltron is a live-action adaptation of the classic 1980s animated series, Highlander is a reboot of a film franchise that already has four theatrical films, one made-for-TV movie, and two live-action TV shows. There have also been cartoons, anime, novels, comics, and more. The original 1986 Highlander movie remains a cult classic, with Christopher Lambert starring as Connor MacLeod, an immortal who receives more power when he beheads other immortals in a Quickening, something that will one day lead to the Gathering, where there can be only one. Sean Connery co-starred in the original movie, and the new film will see Cavill take the Lambert role and Russell Crowe replace Connery. Henry Cavill's Highlander Movie Gives Him A Perfect Geralt Replacement Credit: MovieStillsDB The Witcher suffered after losing Cavill in the lead role as Geralt, and the actor's career was stalled thanks to his losing the role of Superman, but things are starting to work out. Connor MacLeod is a perfect replacement for Geralt for Cavill, as it allows Cavill to retain a similar character type, while bringing the immortal being both into the modern day and into flashback scenes to the distant past. It is also a nice replacement because Highlander is just as popular with genre audiences as The Witcher is. While The Witcher is based on video games and novels, Highlander built its history in movies and TV, and this is just another addition to that legacy. Not many people can replace someone like Lambert in the lead role, although Adrian Paul came close as Connor's kinsman, Duncan MacLeod, in Highlander: The Series. Cavill shouldn't face that scrutiny. While very few people were excited to see Liam Hemsworth replace Cavill as Geralt, Cavill has such a deep and devoted fan base that few will likely complain about him replacing Lambert in this iconic role. It is a perfect fantasy role for Cavill, and he should step into it easily, a perfect Geralt replacement for the actor. Highlander Is One Of The Most Exciting Upcoming Fantasy Movies Image via MovieStillsDB While the upcoming Highlander film seems more like a remake than a reboot, it remains one of the most anticipated fantasy movies coming in 2027. It has already been delayed thanks to an injury Cavill suffered while training, but the anticipation online remains strong. The movie bringing in Cavill to play Connor MacLeod was a big move, since Cavill's popularity has grown thanks to Geralt and Superman. It also helps that his supporting cast in this movie is so good. Crowe has signed on to play Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez, a role Connery played in the original movie. Ramirez trained Connor to fight with a sword and appeared mostly in the flashback scenes in the original film. Dave Bautista is playing The Kurgan, the most feared of the immortals. The Kurgan is the film's main villain, a role Clancy Brown played in the original movie. Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, and Jeremy Irons also bring star power to the new movie, making it an even more exciting new prospect. With Chad Stahelski as the director, it is an even more exciting upcoming action movie. Stahelski directed all four John Wick movies, which suggests the new Highlander film not only has a great cast but should have incredible fight choreography and stunt scenes as well. Will Henry Cavill's Highlander Be A Success? Image by Everett Collection While the anticipation is high, and while Cavill's popularity is unquestionable, that does not guarantee success for Highlander. Movies like this are a gamble. Masters of the Universe was a colossal box office bomb when it hit theaters in 2026, and then it went on to become one of the most-watched movies on streaming when it hit Prime Video. Masters of the Universe is another popular 1980s property, and it failed miserably when it was in theaters. However, that also shows that Highlander could be a success, even if it does not do well at the box office. Just like Masters of the Universe, Highlander is an Amazon MGM Studios movie, which means it will receive a theatrical release, but then it will also go straight to Prime Video when the theatrical exclusivity window ends. Highlander doesn't have to make big money at the box office if it follows what Masters of the Universe did on streaming. However, Amazon MGM Studios has to hope that ticket sales will be better for this movie than for Masters of the Universe, if only for Cavill's popularity. The movie has an estimated $180 million budget, so the box office would need to be high for it to reach financial success in the theatrical release. Highlander has no release date yet, and the competition is what hurt Masters of the Universe, so that will be an important decision. In the end, Stahelski said that he wants Highlander to be the start of a new movie trilogy, and that can only happen if Amazon MGM Studios determines it is a success. This means if anyone wants to see more of Henry Cavill in the Highlander franchise, they will need to support it every step of the way. TV Show(s) Highlander: The Series, Highlander: The Animated Series, Highlander: The Raven First Film Highlander First TV Show Highlander: The Series Cast Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, Roxanne Hart, Henry Cavill Created by Gregory Widen Movie(s) Highlander, Highlander II: The Quickening, Highlander III: The Sorcerer, Highlander: Endgame, Highlander: The Source, Highlander (Reboot)