After the success of one box-office-breaking series, one mildly entertaining reboot, and a vaguely interesting Netflix series, the Resident Evil franchise is returning to theaters for another run. Director Zach Cregger is rebooting the IP for a new adventure that's still a mystery to most.
Early rumors indicate that the 2026 Resident Evil reboot will star Austin Abrams, who is currently listed under the character codename of "Brian." Viewers may recognize Abrams from two seasons of The Walking Dead. He's since had various roles in movies and television, making it plausible for the TWD actor to headline a franchise. The thing is, Abrams may face the same challenge that Avan Jogia and Hannah John-Kamen encountered while trying to establish their characters in Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. Though they delivered adequate performances, even with a strong supporting cast, they struggled to get fans invested in their characters.
The 'Resident Evil' Reboot Needs Alice
Fortunately, there is a simple solution to ensure the endeavor succeeds: cast Milla Jovovich again.
The 2021 reboot and Netflix series featured all the key components of a Resident Evil storyline except one: Alice (Milla Jovovich). Each adaptation did everything correctly, but when executed, it garnered a tepid response at best.
In contrast, the 2000s series starring Jovovich achieved tremendous box office success—and despite a basic narrative—managed to draw audiences back year after year. And by basic, we're speaking about Alice; the premise of three or four entries revolved around the character either losing or regaining special abilities.
Plainly speaking, the narrative had the potential to be more, and yet, it's still well-regarded, primarily due to Jovovich's contributions. She's the only common denominator between all the films. Ali Larter, Oded Fehr, Sienna Guillory, and Michelle Rodriguez made recurring appearances in various installments, though none have appeared as often as the franchise lead.
For whatever reason, the actress—or the character—something about her—keeps the fans coming back. The old adage of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." comes to mind, and whether it's apt or not, Zach Cregger needs to consider that notion when crafting his Resident Evil movie.
There's no need to reinvent the wheel when Paul W.S. Anderson laid out a successful blueprint for Resident Evil adaptations. And Cregger can rely on Anderson's insights because, despite crafting an IP around a completely original character in a storyline that deviates far away from the source material, Anderson still managed to please audiences.
Typically, audiences get frustrated when directors take creative liberties with established storylines but that hasn't necessarily been the case with Resident Evil. Granted, that while fans desired to see tales more akin to 2021's Welcome To Raccoon City on the big screen, general audiences turned out in droves to see Anderson's action-packed entries.
Again—and apologies for the repeated expressions—but the proof is in the pudding: Milla Jovovich needs to return as Alice. Even if the narrative centers around the new character named "Brian," Alice should still be introduced in some way. Jovovich herself expressed a desire to return to the franchise in 2020, so it's now up to Cregger to cast her in the upcoming film.
The Resident Evil movies are currently streaming on the Starz app.