Henry Cavill offered an update on his condition after his recent injury ahead of filming the Highlander reboot. Production on the fantasy action-adventure blockbuster was reportedly delayed significantly due to Cavill getting hurt during training.
The Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice actor posted a carousel of images via Instagram on Sept. 19 to show that he is now on the road to recovery. In the first photo, Cavill spent some quality time with his dog, Baggins, while the second slide offered a look at his bandaged ankle and foot propped up on a pillow. A few cuts and bruises were noticeable on his injured leg, too. Cavill seemingly wanted to assure fans that he was not giving up on Highlander by quoting from William Ernest Henley’s triumphant poem Invictus.
Cavill wrote in the caption: “Out of the night that covers me / Black as the pit from pole to pole. I thank whatever gods may be / For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance / I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance / My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears / Looms but the Horror of the shade. And yet the menace of the years / Finds and shall find me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate / How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”
The actor didn’t directly link the post to his Highlander injury, but it shows it was serious enough to halt production.
Fellow DCEU star Jason Momoa hopped in the comments, wishing him a speedy recovery. The actor wrote, “Sorry bro. Get some much deserved rest.” Warhammer designer Darren Lathan referred to Cavill’s upcoming Warhammer 40k project, writing in the comments, “Warhammer, the great healer.”
Henry Cavill Previously Suffered a Serious Injury on the Witcher Set
Henry Cavill is Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s The Witcher.Credit: Image via Netflix
On Sept. 11, it was announced that production on Highlander was being pushed to 2026 due to Cavill’s leg injury during training. Unfortunately, this is not the first time the actor has suffered a major injury on set. Filming on season 2 of Netflix’s The Witcher had to be completely rearranged when Cavill tore his hamstring while running through the forest for a scene. When showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich found Cavill in “a great amount of pain” due to the injury, action sequences were altered or delayed to accommodate him.
However, Cavill later admitted to The Hollywood Reporter that he worried that his reputation as an action star could be at stake. “The difficulty was working while I was injured,” Cavill recalled. “Because I wanted to do more for the production — I know how important it was for them to get stuff done. So it was having to find that balance between, ‘Yes, let’s push, push, push,’ and, ‘Whoa, hold on, if I tear this further, it’s the end of my action career.’ That was my worst moment of the past year — professionally.”
The reboot of Highlander has been in development for more than a decade, with the former Superman actor coming on board to play the Scottish warrior Connor MacLeod in May 2021. Cavill signed on for the lead role after Ryan Reynolds famously dropped out of starring in Highlander a few years earlier, according to reports. John Wick franchise veteran Chad Stahelski will direct the fantasy epic, based on a script by Michael Finch (Predators and Hitman: Agent 47). The impressive ensemble cast includes Karen Gillan, Russell Crowe, Marisa Abela, Djimon Hounsou and Max Zhang, plus Dave Bautista playing MacLeod’s nemesis, The Kurgan.
Cavill promoted Stahelski’s take on Highlander at CinemaCon last year by promising that the reboot will honor the legacy of the original movies — which starred Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery as Macleod and the swordsman Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez, respectively. “I’m a lover of the original movies for better or for worse,” he told the crowd. “But, my goodness, me, what we are doing with this is… we are going deep into the meat of these characters and their trials and tribulations. If you thought you saw me do sword work before, you ain’t seen nothing yet!”
Highlander is expected to be released in 2027.
Created by
Gregory Widen
First Film
Highlander
Latest Film
Highlander: The Source
First TV Show
Highlander: The Series
Latest TV Show
Highlander: The Raven
Connor MacLeod was born in Glenfinnan in the Scottish Highlands in the 16th century. MacLeod is one of a number of immortals empowered by an energy called the Quickening and only able to die if beheaded.