After helming four increasingly successful John Wick movies, director Chad Stahelski is looking to leave his mark on the Highlander franchise next. Just as the Wick films were bolstered by a strong cast including the likes of Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Ian McShane, Highlander boasts a strong ensemble of its own. Henry Cavill headlines the project as Connor MacLeod, and he’ll be joined by a bunch of famous faces. Ahead of production starting later this year, Highlander has added Russell Crowe, Dave Bautista, and Marisa Abela to its cast. Now, another familiar name has joined the project — one with plenty of genre experience to boot.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Karen Gillan, who plays Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has been cast in Highlander as Heather MacLeod. The character is the wife of Cavill’s Connor. This was the role portrayed by Beatie Edney in the 1986 original.
Karen Gillan’s Casting Could Signal Another Big Change for the Highlander Reboot
Stahelski has already confirmed his Highlander incorporates a timeline shift, moving the action to “the beyond present-day New York and Hong Kong” — a stark contrast from the original’s 1500s setting. This proves Stahelski’s film isn’t going to be a beat-for-beat remake of the ’86 movie. Not only will this allow the director to explore the character of Connor MacLeod through a different lens (seeing how the immortal warrior reacts to today’s society), it raises the question of what other changes Stahelski could implement.
Gillan has proven her action chops time and time again. Not only is she famous for her turns in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and the Jumanji films, she’s also appeared in “smaller” productions like Gunpowder Milkshake. It would arguably be a waste of Gillan’s talents if her Highlander role is akin to the character Edney played. In the original Highlander, Heather is just a blacksmith’s daughter and housewife. She has a meaningful part in the story as Connor’s mortal wife, but she doesn’t get involved in the high-stakes action herself. Casting Gillan as the reboot’s Heather suggests Stahelski could be reimagining the character as more of a warrior.
Highlander plot details are being kept under wraps for now, but with the contemporary setting in mind, perhaps Gillan’s Heather could be a mercenary or government agent who gets involved with Connor. The reboot would still be able to build a strong emotional core around their relationship, but also put a fresh spin on the dynamic, allowing them to feel more as equals. Gillan is certainly more than capable of playing a housewife, but it’d be more fun to see her get to flex her action muscles again, which will help the reboot stand apart from its cult-favorite predecessor.
Stahelski is set to start shooting Highlander in September, so maybe fans will see what his plans are for Gillan soon. As production unfolds in Scotland, there will probably be opportunities for people to snap set photos or take videos, giving the internet a small taste of what the filmmakers have in store. It’ll be interesting to see if any unofficial looks at Gillan circulate online in the coming months.
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