The upcoming Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is arguably the most-anticipated video game adaptation of the year. Now, Sony is definitely pressing the accelerator on the marketing release. The latest promotional video is a character vignette that focuses on Leon Kennedy, the fan-favorite character from the horror franchise. According to director Johannes Roberts, fans should expect the version they saw in Resident Evil 2 when the character was still a “nerdy” police officer and not yet the action man he would become.
“Welcome to Raccoon City is very much an origin story so we see Leon Kennedy’s journey,” Roberts said. “For fans, Leon’s an action hero. We really went to go back to the original second game where he’s quite a nerdy, reluctant hero. It was really important to cast the actor that could bring Leon Kennedy to life. We did not want someone that looked identical to the games but had no emotional connection. Throughout the movie will see Leon becomes the character that gamers will recognize.”
Despite the anticipation, many fans are divided over the race swapping of another iconic pop culture character.
For these fans concerned about the casting, it’s not a reluctance to see diverse actors starring in lead roles but an expectation that the source material be honored, as the role should go to the actor who shares the most likeness.
As a mega fan of the Resident Evil myself, I will keep an open mind and wait to see what this new film has to offer.