Anna Daniels
If this casting offer goes through, it will accompany the previously-cycling rumor that Claire Redfield, another major female protagonist in the franchise, has possibly found an actress in Kaya Scodelario, best known for her roles on the British series Skins and in the film adaptations of the Maze Runner novels. There has also been rumor that producers may have tried and failed to cast Brenton Thwaites as Chris Redfield, Claire’s brother and protagonist of a few Resident Evil games; however, Thwaites has been he’s pretty busy being Dick Grayson on Titans these days.
The possibility that this production has prioritized casting two female leads is an interesting turn. The original Resident Evil film adaptation focused on a female lead, and perhaps this reboot wants to capitalize on that success in its own way. On top of that, while Claire and Jill are both very popular characters within the franchise, they’re introduced in different games. Jill accompanies Chris as part of the plot of the original Resident Evil, but Claire isn’t introduced until Resident Evil 2, as she’s looking for her brother in the aftermath of the first game’s events. This would also necessitate casting someone as Leon Kennedy, Claire’s co-lead in Resident Evil 2. It also raises questions as to how this version may futz with time a little bit to overlay the plots of both Resident Evil 1 and 2, since they canonically take place in roughly the same location, but several weeks apart. It’s a bold — and sizable — ask for the introductory film of a hopeful franchise, but it’s not impossible.
Written by: Looper
