Henry Cavill has shared an emotional update with fans after a training injury forced production delays on the highly anticipated Highlander reboot. The actor, best known for playing Superman and Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher, revealed that while the setback was serious, he remains determined to return to set — quoting the defiant closing lines of William Ernest Henley’s iconic poem Invictus to underscore his resilience.
A Serious Setback on the Road to Connor MacLeod
On September 11, producers confirmed that the fantasy action-adventure film, originally slated for an earlier start, would now push production to 2026 due to Cavill’s leg injury. Though Cavill did not directly link his Instagram post to the Highlander delay, the images — including one of his bandaged and bruised ankle — told the story clearly.
“My head is bloody, but unbowed,” Cavill wrote, quoting Invictus alongside a photo of himself resting at home with his dog, Baggins. Fans flooded the comments with support, while fellow stars rallied behind him. Jason Momoa wrote, “Sorry bro. Get some much deserved rest,” and Warhammer designer Darren Lathan joked, “Warhammer, the great healer,” referencing Cavill’s other passion project.
Not His First Injury on an Action Set
This is not the first time Cavill’s commitment to physically demanding roles has caused trouble. During production on season two of The Witcher, he tore his hamstring while running through a forest stunt, forcing showrunners to rework the schedule.
Reflecting later, Cavill admitted to The Hollywood Reporter that the injury left him worried about his reputation as an action star. “The difficulty was working while I was injured,” he said. “I wanted to push forward, but there was always that fear of making it worse and ending my action career.”
A Long-Awaited Reboot With Big Ambitions
Highlander has been in development for over a decade, with Cavill announced as the immortal Scottish warrior Connor MacLeod in 2021 after Ryan Reynolds exited the project. The film is directed by Chad Stahelski, the stunt veteran behind the John Wick franchise, with a screenplay by Michael Finch (Predators, Hitman: Agent 47).
The cast is stacked with talent: Karen Gillan, Russell Crowe, Marisa Abela, Djimon Hounsou, and Max Zhang join the ensemble, while Dave Bautista is set to play MacLeod’s nemesis, The Kurgan.
Cavill has been vocal about his excitement for the project, telling fans at CinemaCon that the reboot will respect the cult-classic legacy while pushing deeper into the characters’ emotional journeys. “If you thought you saw me do sword work before,” he teased, “you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
New Release Target
The delay means audiences will have to wait longer to see Cavill wield a sword again. While filming is now expected to resume in 2026, the movie’s release is currently planned for 2027.
For fans who have followed Cavill through Superman, The Witcher, and his upcoming Warhammer 40,000 series, the update was both reassuring and frustrating: the actor’s determination remains unshaken, but his long-awaited Highlander debut will arrive later than hoped.
