Zach Cregger's Resident Evil Confirms A Major Game Character Exists In The Movie’s Universe

Published Sep 19, 2026, 11:21 PM EDT Jennifer is a TV and Movie News Editor at ScreenRant. She started her journey in entertainment media in 2022 when she first joined Valnet at CBR before coming to ScreenRant. Jennifer loves TV, especially science fiction. She also loves late-night talk shows, due to her insomnia. Alien: Earth is definitely one of her favorite shows, and she jumps on any chance she gets to write about it. Even on her days off, she will claim an Alien Earth article if one is available. Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon are two of her favorite late-night hosts, and Conan O'Brien before he left his show. Her Alien: Earth coverage for ScreenRant is by far the work that she is most proud of so far. She was initially a finance and political editor, but her passion for pop culture convinced her to transition into entertainment journalism. During her off time, she loves to binge-watch cooking shows such as Kitchen Nightmares. Jennifer also loves spending time with her daughter and cherishes every moment of it. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Zach Cregger's Resident Evil may not be entirely canon, but a major legacy character's existence has been confirmed. Whether Cregger's reboot of Resident Evil is canon to the video game franchise has been heavily debated. Even the director himself offered murky answers about whether the same rules or characters from games exist in the world he created for his adaptation. Cregger's movie does not feature any characters from the video games, and the zombies roaming his universe are drastically different from those depicted in the source material. However, one specific Easter egg confirms the existence of one of the property's most iconic characters. Although the movie does feature a lot of references that pay homage to the game, none of the characters actually appear. The lack of cameos makes it unclear whether the film takes place in the world of the established franchise or if the adaptation is supposed to be its own entity instead of a direct spinoff. However, one scene includes a background advertisement for a gunship owned by Leon S. Kennedy, arguably one of Resident Evil's most popular figures. It is the movie's only direct connection to the character, but the detail seemingly establishes that a version of Leon does exist somewhere within Cregger's iteration of the Resident Evil universe. Leon is one of the central characters in Capcom's Resident Evil franchise. He made his debut in 1998's Resident Evil 2 alongside Claire Redfield as the game's two playable characters. An earlier version of Leon was envisioned as a more experienced police officer, but writer Noboru Sugimura ultimately reworked him, turning him into a young rookie instead. In the game, Leon arrives in Raccoon City for his first day with the Raccoon Police Department and finds the city overrun by zombies. Since his debut, Leon has become one of the most popular figures in the franchise and is also a recurring protagonist across the Resident Evil games. After his debut, he has played major roles in Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 6. His appearances also extend beyond the main games to novels, animated movies, and TV series, as well as crossover titles such as Project X Zone and Dead by Daylight. Several actors have voiced Leon over the years, including Paul Haddad, Paul Mercier, Matthew Mercer, Nick Apostolides, and Toshiyuki Morikawa. In live action, Johann Urb portrayed the character in Resident Evil: Retribution, while Avan Jogia played him in Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. Cregger's Resident Evil is currently playing in theaters now. Release Date September 18, 2026 Runtime 90 Minutes Director Zach Cregger Writers Shay Hatten, Zach Cregger Producers Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, Miri Yoon, Robert Kulzer, Roy Lee, Zach Cregger, David Minkowski Cast