“The Action Is on Par With John Wick” [Exclusive]

There can be only one; that much is true, but for there to be only one, there must also be an ultimate opponent for The One. While Henry Cavill may be sidelined with an injury as production on Highlander pushes to early next year, his co-star Dave Bautista is already sharpening his sword — metaphorically and literally. Speaking exclusively with Collider’s Steven Weintraub while promoting his upcoming film Afterburn, Bautista opened up about his dream role in Chad Stahelski’s reboot of the cult classic and how his journey to becoming the iconic villain, the Kurgan, was more than a decade in the making.

“This goes back a long time because I’ve actually been chasing this role. I think I probably tweeted about this role, about being the Kurgan, more than 10 years ago. I’ve been chasing this role like I’ve been chasing the Marcus Fenix role [in Gears of War], just because I was a huge fan of the original Highlander. I always loved Clancy Brown’s performance as the Kurgan. I always wanted to be the Kurgan. I don’t know why. There was something magical about that role. He’s the villain I love to hate. Same with wrestling, I like being the bad guy, and that was the kind of role that I’ve been searching for as far as being the bad guy.”

Bautista’s passion for Highlander is as immortal as the characters themselves. And he’s not exaggerating — he’s been vocal on social media and in interviews for years about his desire to play his dream characters. That clearly extends to Kurgan, the menacing, centuries-old warrior who serves as the central antagonist to Cavill’s Connor MacLeod. The original Kurgan, memorably portrayed by Clancy Brown in the 1986 film, remains one of the most iconic villains of ’80s cinema, and Bautista was determined to inherit that legacy.

“So, when this came about, this started tracking, and Chad had it — like, this is years now, years back when it was still with Lionsgate, because it’s been a little bit of a bumpy road for this project as well,” Bautista explained. “But I started tracking it then, and then when I heard that they moved over to Amazon MGM, right when it was kind of in a flux, and I was working with J.J. at the time, and I even asked him, ‘Hey, man, can you put in a good word with Chad?’ And he did.”

How Did Dave Bautista Get Cast in ‘Highlander’?

Persistence paid off, albeit with a few twists along the way. Even when it seemed like the opportunity might have passed him by, Bautista didn’t give up. He told Collider:

“Chad came to The Killer’s Game premiere, and he made sure that I had a moment to meet with Chad and tell him again how much I was interested in the role, and I did. I just came straight out. I don’t play coy. If there’s something I want, I aggressively pursue it, and I’m very vocal about it. I’m not too shy to tell you that I really want something. So he was there, and I just went up to him and said, ‘Hey, it’s good to see you again,’ because we met years back. I said, ‘Man, I’m not going to mess around.’ I was like, ‘I want this role. Tell me what I’ve got to do to get this role.’ I think he was just like, ‘Slow your horses. Slow your roll.’ [Laughs] He wasn’t there yet, but he said he’d let me know, he was thinking about it, still thinking about the casting and everything.”

Weeks went by, and for a moment, Bautista thought the dream was over. “I thought the role was gone. I thought it had been cast,” He explained. “I thought they moved on without me, and it wasn’t going to happen. Out of nowhere, I got a call, and it was a call like, ‘Hey, what do you think? You still want the role?’ I was like, ‘Fuck yeah, I want the role!’ He was like, ‘I’m sending you the script. I’ll call you tomorrow. We’re going to talk about it.’ He sent me the script, I read it, and the next day we talked about it.” That script — penned by American Assassin’s Michael Finch — immediately blew Bautista away. He went on to say:

“I was so blown away by the script because, without saying too much, this is such a great reboot. We’re still paying tribute and giving a nod to the original, but making it new and fresh and exciting, and also just universe-building. It’s just so much bigger than the original. The action is on par with John Wick. I’m afraid I’m going to say too much. I don’t want to give anything away, but I think people are going to be blown away by this because it’s bigger than you imagine, and it’s new enough that you won’t be seeing the same thing. If you saw the original, you’re still not going to know what the story is.”

While Bautista is careful not to spoil any specifics, his enthusiasm hints at the ambitious scope of Stahelski’s vision. Long known for his precise, kinetic action work in the John Wick franchise, Stahelski is bringing that same energy and depth to Highlander — and Bautista believes this new version will be both familiar and refreshingly new.

“It’s just different, but still the same. I don’t know if that makes sense. It’s in that universe, but it’s just something new, and it’s different, and it gives us places to go, and it’s just bigger. I don’t want to say better than the original, because the original is just so special to me. It’s special to a lot of people. But it’s just it’s bigger and it’s different and it’s special, and it feels like a newer version of the Highlander. It’s just an updated, high-speed version of the Highlander.”

With Cavill set to star as Connor MacLeod and a powerhouse supporting cast that includes Russell Crowe, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, Max Zhang, and Marisa Abela, Highlander is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated action epics in recent memory — even if its production is currently delayed until early next year due to Cavill’s injury. But if Bautista’s passion is any indication, the wait will be worth it. After all, when it comes to Highlander, there can be only one — and for Bautista, there was only ever one role he wanted.

Stay tuned to Collider for all the latest updates on Highlander.