According to sources at Deadline, Dave Bautista may soon face off against Henry Cavill in Amazon MGM Studios’ Highlander reboot. Bautista, a former WWE wrestler who’s made a name for himself as an actor, most recently in Dune: Part 2 and The Killer’s Game, will likely be playing The Kurgan in Highlander, a character first played by Clancy Brown in 1986.
From Wrestler to Contender
Bautista was introduced to TV audiences in a 2002 episode of SmackDown! After taking on some minor acting roles, he really hit the mainstream as Drax the Destroyer in James Gunn’s 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy and three years later, in a minor role, in Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049. While Bautista has tried his hand at comedy and been featured in more traditional action and horror films, it’s the sci-fi and fantasy-adjacent fare where audiences seem to like him best.
Dave Bautista wins the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 21 – YouTube, WWE Vault
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Getting Bautista signed on for Highlander as an iconic villain seems like the next logical step for his career. It would also be the first time he’s worked alongside Henry Cavill and under the direction of Chad Stahelski. Ironically, rumors of Bautista playing The Kurgan in a Highlander reboot go all the way back to 2015, long before Cavill and Stahelski were involved.
The Kurgan
In the 1986 Highlander movie, The Kurgan was the main antagonist, an evil immortal and barbarian psychopath. He wore an animal skull for a helmet. The part was at one point offered to Arnold Schwarzenegger, who turned it down, presumably because after The Terminator he was done playing villains. Ultimately, Clancy Brown took the role, delivering a performance so iconic it helped cement the film’s cult status.
The Kurgan, played by Clancy Brown, in the final moments of Highlander – YouTube, RandomChannel137
Given the presence Bautista brought to Drax in Guardians and Beast Rabban in the Dune movies, his potential casting falls in line with the type of roles for which he’s best known. However, Bautista’s recent radical physical transformation has some questioning if he’s still right for the role.
More Reboots, More Sequels to Reboots
While we wait for confirmation regarding Highlander, Bautista has officially signed on for the sequel to 2024’s Road House reboot (which Variety called “highly-watched”) with Jake Gyllenhaal. It will be directed by Ilya Naishuller, fresh off of Nobody, and also for Amazon MGM Studios.
What happened to Dave Bautista? pic.twitter.com/9ouvDNeikx
— Creepy.org (@creepydotorg) May 17, 2025
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Not much else is known about the movie, but speculation is that Bautista’s character fulfills a similar function to that of Connor MacGregor’s villain, Knox, in the first movie. And if that’s the case, we may see him bulking up again as he doubles-down on playing villainous heavies.
Conclusion
Reactions to the Highlander reboot have been mixed. There’s optimism about the project, given a cast that includes a former Witcher (Henry Cavill) and an ex-Gladiator (Russell Crowe), and is being helmed by one of the minds behind John Wick (Stahelski). Cavill’s desire to remain true to the spirit of the source material is well-documented, and probably why he left Netflix’s The Witcher.
Chrisopher Lambert as Connor Macleod in the climax of Highlander – YouTube, RandomChannel137
However, given that Highlander is coming from the same studio that produced Rings of Power, fans are cautious. Bautista has been long rumored for the role of The Kurgan, even before this particular HIghlander reboot was off the ground, so this could be a good sign that everyone involved is moving in the same direction.
Is Bautista up to playing The Kurgan in Highlander? Or are you over all the reboots? Let us know in the comments!
Bautista can’t act. No charisma.
So another reason to avoid this. I won’t watch anything with Bautista in it.