According to Screen Rant, citing an interview Cregger gave to Empire magazine (via GamesRadar+), the filmmaker has explained why the franchise’s most recognizable protagonists were deliberately left out of his version of the survival horror saga, arguing that the decision was driven by the story rather than fan service.
Why Zach Cregger Left Resident Evil’s Most Famous Heroes Out
Ever since Zach Cregger was announced as the director of the “Resident Evil” reboot, one of the biggest questions surrounding the project has been why it would avoid the characters most closely associated with Capcom’s games. Instead of centering on Leon, Jill, or Claire, the film introduces Bryan, a medical courier played by Austin Abrams, whose ordinary job spirals into chaos during the Raccoon City outbreak.
Speaking about that creative choice, Cregger said forcing iconic characters into the narrative simply did not fit the picture he wanted to make. “To try and shoehorn in any of those characters would feel inorganic to this self-contained story. I have to put the story first and foremost.”
The director also described Bryan as a very different kind of lead than longtime fans might expect. “The concept here is that we’re following an i**ot,” Cregger said before clarifying, “Not that he’s st**id, but he’s not your typical game character.” Rather than an experienced police officer or elite operative, the protagonist is an everyday person caught in extraordinary circumstances.
That approach matches what Cregger has previously shared about the reboot. Set during an alternate version of the events of “Resident Evil 2” in a modern-day timeline, the film tells a parallel story unfolding alongside the infamous Raccoon City disaster. Instead of revisiting familiar character arcs, it explores how someone outside the established mythology survives the same nightmare.
The reboot marks the second attempt to relaunch the live-action “Resident Evil” franchise following 2021’s “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.” Co-written by Cregger and Shay Hatten, the picture also stars Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, Johnno Wilson, and Paul Walter Hauser. The title is currently set to hit theaters, including IMAX, on September 18.