Amazon MGM’s upcoming Highlander reboot has Henry Cavill playing Connor MacLeod, and first-look footage shown at CinemaCon 2026 confirmed the film delivers everything fans loved about the original, with a heavy dose of John Wick energy added on top. Principal photography only began in early 2026, so fans will need to be patient.
Plenty of television keeps the Highlander itch alive until the next film arrives. The original movie has endured as a cult classic, generating sequels, TV shows, and even a novelization. A reboot was announced back in 2008 by Summit Entertainment, yet it never came to fruition. Cavill is now finally taking up the mantle, and the wait is almost at an end.
Ten shows share the film’s fondness for time travel, immortality, and swordfights across centuries.
Highlander: The Series (1992–1998)
This sequel stands as the finest follow-up to the original Highlander film. It centers on Duncan MacLeod, an Immortal who has spent 400 years alive yet removed himself from the Game by avoiding contact with other Immortals. Christopher Lambert made a brief appearance in the very first episode, serving as a link back to the films and keeping the bond to Connor MacLeod from ever fully breaking.
Duncan’s travels take him through connections with other Immortals and with ordinary people alike. He loves and loses people again and again, engages in countless battles against rivals like himself, and comes to understand the Watchers, a secret organization that keeps track of the history of the Immortals. The series carries over many themes from the films while also uncovering additional background about Duncan and the Immortals in general.
This is not the same as the Highlander film, but it comes closer than anything else available while people wait for Connor MacLeod to appear on the big screen again.
Forever Knight (1992–1996)
The vampire detective Nick Knight dreams of losing his immortality and becoming human. The show borrows heavily from Highlander, with vampires possessing a warning sense about one another just as the Immortals do. The series is full of flashbacks to Nick’s past lives.
Nick’s battle to protect ordinary people from the consequences of his former lives as a murderer defined the show’s identity as a light-hearted fantasy set in a city. At the same time, he worked hard to conceal the existence of the vampire world from anyone around him who wasn’t already aware of it. The series came to an end with a finale that was roundly rejected by its audience, setting off a storm of criticism.
Xena: Warrior Princess (1995–2001)
If you’re after a fast-paced melodrama from a bygone era with a touch of cheese, Xena: Warrior Princess fits the bill. The main character carries guilt over the damage she inflicted on innocents long ago, and her goal is to redeem herself through service to others. She devotes herself entirely to fighting for what is right, prepared to give up everything so she can become a better person than the one she once was.
The show draws its likeness to Highlander from her grand adventures, which unfold alongside her faithful companion Gabrielle. Sword in hand and Chakram in the other, Xena travels through a fantasy rendering of Ancient Greece, delivering action that is both enjoyable and occasionally ridiculous.
Highlander: The Raven (1998–1999)
The spinoff kept the same good-versus-evil themes as the rest of the franchise. This time, the Immortal was a woman named Amanda, who had appeared in Highlander: The Series. She does not begin on the side of good. When the show opens, Amanda is a thief framed for murder, which brings her together with a cop named Nick Wolfe, who then discovers her immortality.
Amanda’s journey is one of redemption, with Nick’s help. She spends the series trying to become a better person and faces off against other Immortals, actually battling them instead of running away. The show offers a different perspective on Immortal life and explores what might make an Immortal something other than good.
It ends with a wild twist and on a cliffhanger.
The Immortal (2000–2001)
This show is a quick watch at only 22 episodes. Its main character is similar enough to Connor MacLeod that in the book The American Martial Arts Film, author M. Ray Lott wrote: “The resemblance to Highlander is probably not coincidental.” Raphael Cain sees his wife and child murdered in 16th-century Asia by demons, and dedicates his life to pursuing them throughout the centuries with magic, his squire, and his samurai sword.
The series takes place largely in the 21st century, and it can be somewhat absurd now and then. Yet it remains enjoyable. Maybe The Immortal was not the finest show out there, but it serves as an excellent substitute for viewers who have lost touch with the qualities that defined Highlander.
Angel (1999–2004)
The series centers on Angel, a vampire with a soul who makes his home in Los Angeles and spends his time hunting evil. Its mix of horror, humor, and romance bears a resemblance to Highlander, where immortal fighters battle for both survival and their souls.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)
Highlander carries the same genetic material as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the progenitor of modern supernatural dramas. Both series center on heroes shaped by destiny, bound to confront powers that lie outside ordinary human understanding.
Charmed (1998–2006)
The series centers on three sisters who learn they possess magic, and when they join their powers together, nothing can stop them. The villains come in many forms: demons, warlocks, and other dangers beyond the natural world. Time after time, the sisters stand against these forces, doing what they must to preserve the world from the dark powers that threaten it.
Supernatural (2005–2020)
The Winchesters are two brothers who travel together hunting demons, monsters, and other supernatural threats. Supernatural centers on their work, which draws heavily on biblical lore for its cast of villains and allies, including angels and demons. Throughout the series, Sam and Dean repeatedly find themselves caught up in fights to save the world from dark forces.
Key Facts Box
- Highlander: Original film released, no specific date given
- CinemaCon 2026: First-look footage revealed
- Principal photography: Began in early 2026
- Starring: Henry Cavill as Connor MacLeod
- Platform: Amazon MGM’s upcoming movie
Comparison Table
| Show | Main Character | Time Span | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highlander: The Series | Duncan MacLeod | 400 years | Relationships, Watchers |
| Forever Knight | Nick Knight | Multiple lifetimes | Redemption, vampire society |
| Xena: Warrior Princess | Xena | Ancient Greece | Sword battles, Chakram |
| Highlander: The Raven | Amanda | Thief framed for murder | Redemption, battling Immortals |
| The Immortal | Raphael Cain | 16th-century Asia | Demons, magic |
| Angel | Vampire with a soul | Los Angeles | Moral struggle |
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Slayer | Teenage | Prophecies, destiny |
| Charmed | Three sisters | Witches | Family drama |
| Supernatural | Sam and Dean | Hunters | Monsters, demons |
What We Make Of It
These titles are a tribute to a kind of story that has never truly disappeared. Each one carries the same essential elements: a figure destined for greatness, a realm governed by ancient powers, and a fight that stretches across generations. None of them copy Highlander directly, yet all of them bear the same spirit of enduring struggle.
Both The Immortal and Angel mix martial arts with supernatural mythology, standing out as the closest cousins among the group. Forever Knight and Buffy the Vampire Slayer lean toward a lighter touch, while Supernatural heads straight into horror territory. Xena: Warrior Princess and Charmed keep their action rooted in fantasy instead.
For years, the Highlander franchise has remained alive through more than just one film. A long line of sequels, spinoffs, and television series have carried on the story across decades. Cavill’s upcoming installment gives fans something to look forward to, and these earlier shows offer the ideal way to while away the time before his version arrives.
The wait is long, but the viewing options are plentiful.
See the video the story is built around at Screen Rant.
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