Dave Bautista says preparing for the upcoming Highlander reboot required months of intense training, including stunt work, sword fighting and weightlifting. Speaking about the role in late 2025, the Guardians of the Galaxy star revealed he began preparing even before the contract was officially signed. The reboot is set for release in 2027, with Bautista starring alongside Henry Cavill.
Bautista told Collider, ‘I've been training for months now. I think I started training before I even had the role.’ The 57-year-old said the early start meant he had already spent months preparing by the time filming approached.
‘I’ve been here since late August, so I’ve been training since then, with a couple of weeks in California as well. So I’ve been training for quite a bit,’ he said.
The role required a mix of physical preparation, including stunt work and weapons training – but it didn’t come easy. ‘It’s a grind. Not only have I been doing all the training, the physical stuff, the stunt training, the sword fight training, the fight training, but Chad has also asked me to put on a few pounds. So I’ve been doing weight training on top of that as well. So it’s been a grind.’
Bautista added that juggling multiple projects made preparation even more demanding. ‘This is the first time ever in my career that I’ve actually had to juggle films where I’m going from one film to the other, so mentally it’s a little stressful as well.’
At the time, he was filming Road House while continuing to train for Highlander on his days off. ‘On the days that I’m not filming on Road House, I’m training for Highlander.’
Despite the workload, Bautista was quick to put things in perspective. ‘I am not complaining. These are like champagne problems. These are dream roles for me.’
Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.
