As part of Netflix Geeked Week, the streaming service has just unveiled the cast for its live-action Resident Evil series. The hosts of the event made the announcement in Friday’s livestream, which was also then posted on the Netflix Geeked social media account, along with a photograph of the diverse cast.

It has been confirmed that Lance Reddick will be appearing as Resident Evil's Dr. Albert Wesker. Known for his roles in John Wick and Fringe, Reddick has become the first actor of color to portray Wesker. Along with him, Ella Balinska, Tamara Smart, Siena Agudong, Adeline Rudolph, and Paola Núñez have been cast in the upcoming series.

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The Resident Evil series, which was first announced in August 2020, will be set “nearly three decades after the discovery of the T-Virus.” It will follow the story of fan-favorite villain Wesker, who first appeared in 1996’s Resident Evil, and his daughters. They will be seen arriving in the “New Raccoon City” and the series will offer a look into how the world is coping with the war on those affected by the virus. Jade and Billie, Wesker’s daughters, will be at the forefront and will be seen struggling as they deal with their father’s “genocidal legacy.”

In the first game of the franchise, it is established that Wesker, captain of the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team, was linked to the T-Virus Project and was a part of Umbrella's research. He even possesses superhuman powers courtesy of a mutation caused by a prototype virus. He is one of the few characters who have had multiple appearances throughout the franchise. Apart from the first game, he even shows up in Resident Evil Code Veronica X, Resident Evil 4, Umbrella Chronicles, The Darkside Chronicles, and Resident Evil 5His leather coat and trademark sunglasses became synonymous with this character. During a fight with Chris Redfield in Resident Evil, his sunglasses get knocked off, which is when fans were offered a look at his eyes, which had a red hue. 

This isn’t the only Resident Evil adaptation in the works at Netflix. An anime adaptation, Infinite Darkness, is all set to hit the streaming service in July. The official trailer for the series brings back Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy, the original protagonists from the second game in the main franchise.

Apart from that, a live-action film, titled Welcome to Racoon City, is expected to premiere on November 24, 2021, and is being hailed as a soft reboot of the movie franchise. Although not a Netflix project, the movie will also be focusing on adapting original storylines from the games, instead of introducing new characters. 

Resident Evil is in production at Netflix and a release date has not been announced yet.

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Source: Netflix Geeked/Twitter