First Look at Henry Cavill’s Next Action Hero Following His Superman Retirement

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Henry Cavill gave fans their first glimpse of his character in the upcoming Highlander movie on social media, and he looks fantastic. He shared two dramatic photos on Instagram: one showing him with a sword in a setting that looks like Hong Kong, and another in a gothic cathedral.

The photos reveal Henry Cavill looking battle-worn and prepared for action, sporting a long, dark coat with a fur collar. One image shows him standing in front of red lanterns, and the other places him inside a cathedral with a katana in its sheath. Both pictures have a similar dark and stylish feel to the John Wick movies, directed by Chad Stahelski.

Cavill wrote in his Instagram caption: 

I’m so excited to share the first look at Highlander! It’s been an incredible process getting here, and I’ll share the full story soon. I hope you all like what you see!

Cavill’s comment about a ‘journey’ likely refers to the leg injury he suffered during training last year, which caused delays in the film’s production. Originally, filming was planned for Fall 2025, but it’s now expected to begin in early 2026. Director Stahelski had hoped to start shooting in late 2024, but work on the film Ballerina, combined with Cavill’s injury, kept pushing back the schedule. So, it’s understandable that he’s excited to finally be starting the project.

Cavill’s Post-Superman Action Hero Career

Following his last role as Superman in the October 2022 film Black Adam, Henry Cavill is taking on another leading action role in Highlander. He officially stepped down from playing Man of Steel in December 2022 when James Gunn and Peter Safran announced a reboot of the DC Universe featuring a new, younger Superman.

Since then, Cavill has taken on a variety of action roles in many different film series and types of movies. These roles have given him the chance to demonstrate both his physical strength and his skills as an actor.

Henry Cavill returned as Sherlock Holmes in Enola Holmes 2, which debuted on Netflix in November 2022. A third film is expected to be released this year. Interestingly, the sequel came out just a month before Cavill announced he was leaving his role as Superman, making it the first action movie he filmed after that announcement.

The movie centers on Enola Holmes, portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown, who starts her own detective business. Henry Cavill returns as Sherlock Holmes, and this time he has a bigger part, teaming up with his sister to investigate the disappearance of a young woman and uncover a risky plot.

Henry Cavill finished filming his role as Geralt of Rivia in Season 3 of The Witcher in Summer 2023. The Netflix fantasy show had been a major part of his career since his time playing Superman, lasting for three seasons before he moved on.

Geralt’s role required a significant physical makeover for Henry Cavill. He used white contact lenses, a wig, and a lot of makeup to convincingly portray the character. The part also involved rigorous training in sword fighting, horseback riding, and performing stunts at various locations.

Henry Cavill finished playing the character after Season 3. He revealed he was leaving in October 2022, around the same time he announced he’d be reprising his role as Superman. Liam Hemsworth took over the role beginning with Season 4.

In February 2024, he starred as Agent Argylle, a super-spy in Matthew Vaughn’s film Argylle. The movie is a clever action-comedy where he plays a character who exists within the spy novels written by the character played by Bryce Dallas Howard.

The movie both used and playfully subverted Henry Cavill’s typical action hero persona. The character of Agent Argylle was presented as the perfect spy – polished, stylish, and naturally skilled. These scenes of an idealized spy life were then sharply contrasted with the often chaotic and imperfect world of real espionage.

Vaughn’s guidance focused on visual style, allowing Cavill to showcase exciting action sequences. He delivered polished fight choreography and clever dialogue, bringing a modern, James Bond-like quality to the role.

The actor also starred in Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, which came out in April 2024. This action movie, set during World War II, is based on the real story of a covert British military unit made up of unconventional fighters.

Henry Cavill played Gus March-Phillipps, a British officer based on a real person who led secret missions against the Nazis. His character was a smart and ruthless leader, commanding a diverse group of soldiers tasked with sabotaging the enemy’s supply routes.

Henry Cavill’s unexpected appearance in the July 2024 film Deadpool & Wolverine is likely to be remembered as one of his best action performances since playing Superman. He played a version of Wolverine, jokingly dubbed “Cavillrine” by Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool character.

The quick scene lasted about 30 seconds. Deadpool instantly complimented Wolverine’s appearance, referencing the long-time fan desire to see Henry Cavill in the role, before being punched into a different universe after Cavill-as-Wolverine showed off an impressive weapon reload.

The brief appearance was a hit with viewers and quickly became a popular topic online. People especially enjoyed the clever nod to Henry Cavill’s past roles and the history of fan campaigns hoping he’d get the part.

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2026-02-25 04:35