The Resident Evil series has always been defined by its characters, whether they're good or bad. Fans won't have to wait for another game to see them this year, as Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City hits theaters in late November. After yesterday’s trailer reveal, it looks like the hugely anticipated film will be full of creatures and the horror Resident Evil is known for, as well as featuring some of the franchise’s most iconic characters. The trailer gives us a glimpse of beloved characters like Jill Valentine (Hannah John-Kamen), Chris and Claire Redfield (Robbie Amell and Kaya Scodelario), and Leon Kennedy (Avan Jogia) to name a few. But with an IP like Resident Evil, villains can’t be far behind the heroes.
So what villains can viewers expect in Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City? The answer is a bit tricky. The film, which is written and directed by Johannes Roberts, covers the storylines of both Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2 — which means that any villain in either release is fair game for the big screen. But which villains were sneaked into the trailer and which ones are still in question?
Albert Wesker
If Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is going to cover the events of the first Resident Evil game, Albert Wesker has to come in. Seen leading Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield in what can only be assumed is the Spencer Mansion, Captain Albert Wesker (played by Tom Hopper in the film) is the head of the Special Tactics And Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S) Alpha Team. In Resident Evil, Wesker and the team are investigating the Spencer Mansion in the Arklay Mountains after another S.T.A.R.S team goes missing.
Wesker is first introduced as a no-nonsense cop, who gives the player supplies and checks on their status from time to time but is later revealed to be a double agent. Wesker is actually working for the Umbrella Corporation, a pharmaceutical company that is secretly researching bio-organic weapons (also known as B.O.W.s) in the hopes of creating the perfect specimens. Wesker becomes a bigger deal in the later games of Resident Evil, where his disgusting beliefs and past crimes come to light more, but will hopefully be viewers' way into learning about the darker secrets of Umbrella's in Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.
William Birkin
Another piece of the puzzle that is the Umbrella Corporation lies in Dr. William Birkin, a virologist for its front as a pharmaceutical company. William, along with his wife, Annette, was among the circle of scientists behind the T-virus and discovered the G-virus, which he headed the research for. Although he is not seen in the games until Resident Evil 2, Birkin is one of the strongest forces in the franchise's story. He is one of the researchers who experimented on Lisa Trevor, a woman kept in one of Umbrella’s labs, as well as being involved with research on the Ashford twins, who are explored deeper in Resident Evil Code: Veronica.
Resident Evil 2 finds Birkin ready to leave Umbrella after a failed promotion. In an attempt to keep himself alive, Birkin infects himself with the G-virus and mutates, becoming a grotesque creature that grew in size and horror as time went on. With the limited clips of the virologist in Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City’s trailer, it seems that the film will likely show viewers Birkin’s beginnings at Umbrella up to his eventual demise, covering the ground of not two but three video games.
Mr. X?
The only other main antagonist from Resident Evil or Resident Evil 2 not mentioned or seen in the trailer is a prolific being known as Mr. X. People who have played Resident Evil 2 will instantly recognize this towering presence. Known officially as T-00 or Tyrant, Mr. X is a B.O.W who was sent into Raccoon City during the events of Resident Evil 2 to get a G-virus sample from Sherry Birkin, William’s daughter. The giant, unstoppable creature does his best to hunt the player down in the game, strutting around the Raccoon City Police Department with echoing footsteps, instilling a neverending feeling of dread at the sight of him.
In a film already packed with at least two confirmed villains, Mr. X could very well sit out of Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City and let Birkin and Wesker lead the charge in the villain department. The result would still be great but would have viewers miss out on a chance to see how terrifying the Umbrella Corporation can be when their experiments go well and their mutations don’t backfire.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City hits theaters on November 24th.