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

Published Sep 19, 2026, 11:21 PM EDT

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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.