Netflix's forthcoming Resident Evil TV series is seemingly a total reboot, but could it secretly be connected to the video game series? Capcom's original Resident Evil game arrived in 1996 and revolutionized the survival horror genre. Instead of being a power fantasy where players blasted through hordes of monsters, it emphasized resource management, puzzle-solving and dodging monsters where possible. The game also boasted many iconic moments, such as the zombie dogs bursting through the windows, and it became a surprise success.
Resident Evil 2 arrived in 1998, and it became clear the franchise was going to be sticking around. Like any long-running series, Resident Evil has had its ups and downs in of success, but the franchise always manages to find a way to reboot itself. The success of Resident Evil also led to the development of a movie, which finally arrived in 2002. Resident Evil cast Milla Jovovich as Alice - who has never appeared in the games - who led a commando unit through an underground lab filled with zombies and monsters. The movie was a hit that spawned five sequels, though they had little to no connection with the games.
This didn't make fans of the Resident Evil video games happy, but the movie series was an undeniable success. Netflix's Resident Evil TV series will be taking a similiar track, with the story following two timelines. In the first, sisters Jade and Billie Wesker move to New Raccoon City, and the second timeline is set 14 years later, as Jade struggles to survive in a post-apocalyptic world filled with monsters. Jade and Billie are the daughters of Albert Wesker (Lance Reddick - who was sadly cut from Godzilla Vs Kong), but while on the surface Netflix's Resident Evil appears to be a total reinvention, it may have some game links too.
The first clue is that it's set in "New" Raccoon City, with evil corporation Umbrella building over the ruins of the old city. In the original game series - and the Jovovich movies too - Raccoon City was destroyed to contain the t-Virus outbreak. The fact a New Raccoon City features in Netflix's Resident Evil could be a sign the show will explore what happened to the city in the past. In the games, Raccoon City was destroyed in 1998, while the show's first timeline is reportedly set in 2022, around 24 years later. The series will also explore the Wesker siblings' relationship with their father Wesker, though notably, Reddick is the first person of color to play Wesker, in contrast to past games or Resident Evil movies.
There's one way this could be explained on Netflix's Resident Evil series. In the original game timeline, it was revealed Wesker was part of a eugenics program dubbed "Project W," which was set up by Umbrella founder Oswell E. Spencer to create superior human beings. This program took children from all over the world and gave them the surname Wesker, and in adulthood, the most promising were infected with the virus to grant them superhuman abilities. Apparently, only Albert and his "sister" Alex survived, though it's possible Reddick's Wesker was another candidate from this project. If that is the case, it's odd he would have the same first name as the game's Wesker, who perished in 2009's Resident Evil 5 (not to be confused with the Milla Jovovich action movie sequel of the same name.)
Its also worth noting that Reddick himself has stated his Wesker will differ significantly from the games, telling The Express that “For the most part, the Albert Wesker that I’m playing is not the guy from the games,” and that "rather, he is based on a guy from the games.” If the series does have links, this leaves the door open for characters like the Redfield siblings or Jill Valentine to appear, in addition to classic monsters like the Nemesis. Of course, there are holes in the theory Netflix's Resident Evil show is connected to the games. Since the series displays a post-apocalyptic world, which has yet to happen in the games, Capcom may not wish for the show to conflict with their plans for the franchise. Not being linked to the games would also give Netflix's Resident Evil more creative leeway, but the addition of New Raccoon City does create some interesting questions.