The Resident Evil The franchise is being adapted into live-action once again. But while previous theatrical films have been very loose adaptations of the source material, Netflix’s new series seeks to build on the established Resident Evil game continuity. And this time around, the series’ most intriguing yet complex villain – Albert Wesker – is the star of the show.
How exactly does Wesker fit into this new series, and how does it all tie into his confusing history of death and resurrection? Let’s break down what we know so far.
Albert Wesker: Captain STAR or Agent Umbrella?
Like series protagonists Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, Albert Wesker made his first appearance back in the original Resident Evil in 1996. The game introduced Wesker as the captain of the Tactical Squad. and Special Rescue (or STARS), a special operations force called upon to investigate a series of mysterious murders on the outskirts of Raccoon City. But while Wesker initially becomes a useful ally as the player explores the zombie-filled halls of Spencer Mansion, he is eventually revealed to have a sinister agenda of his own.
Wesker betrays his team during the game’s climax, revealing himself to be a double agent working for the Umbrella Corporation. The zombie outbreak was caused by exposure to Umbrella’s experimental T-virus biological weapon, and it was Wesker’s job to observe zombies and report back on their military effectiveness. Wesker was apparently killed in a laboratory deep beneath the mansion, but not before he freed Umbrella’s most dangerous creation – the Tyrant.
However, Wesker manages to survive his brush with death. That becomes something of a running thread with the character.
The Many Deaths of Albert Wesker
Wesker went on to play a major role in a number of Resident Evil sequels and spin-offs, most notably 2000’s Resident Evil Code: Veronica, 2002, 2002’s Resident Evil Zero, 2005’s Resident Evil 4, and 2005’s Resident Evil 5 2009.
Over the course of these games, players will learn the full, complex plot of Albert Wesker. He began his career as a promising virologist who rose up the ranks of Umbrella Corp and colluded with fellow researcher William Birkin. At the time of the original game, Wesker was planning to betray his master and sell the secrets of the T-virus to a rival corporation. And despite being stabbed by a Tyrant, Wesker survived after injecting himself with an experimental version of the T-virus. And not only survive, but get a boost in strength, speed, and fiery red eyes to boot.
Wesker hit the peak performance in Resident Evil 5.
Wesker returns several times throughout the series, sometimes directly fighting heroes like Chris and Claire Redfield and other times quietly pulling everyone’s strings from behind the scenes. But the common thread across the games – aside from Wesker constantly faking his own death – is that he’s obsessed with stealing Umbrella’s research and spreading it around the world. He believes that humanity has reached an evolutionary dead end, and only by unlocking the full potential of the T virus can the species reach its true potential.
All of this comes into play in Resident Evil 5, when Wesker reappears once again and conspires with the Tricell Corporation to release the Uroboros virus globally. Although Wesker is stronger than ever up to this point, Chris and his allies know that their old foe depends on a constant supply of a special serum to sustain life. If he drank too much or too little, Wesker could die.
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Eventually, Wesker’s luck ran out when he overdosed on the serum and fell into an active volcano. After a final battle with his old nemesis Chris, Wesker finally died in a fiery death. Or is it him?
Albert Wesker in Netflix’s Resident Evil
The first Netflix teasers for Resident Evil have revealed a surprising detail about the series. While it may not be set in the same universe as the Capcom games, the new series exists in a world where several versions of those stories happened. That includes Wesker’s death in 2009.
The Netflix series takes place in two separate time periods – one in 2022 and the other in a zombie-infested 2036. Wesker (played by The Wire’s Lance Reddick) is a major protagonist in the 2022 storyline. The trailer hints that Wesker is once again working as a virologist for the resurgent Umbrella corporation, which rebuilt Raccoon City on the pile. ashes of the original city. Even more surprising, Wesker now has two daughters whose stories form the backbone of both timelines. There is no word yet on whether Jake Muller, the son of Wesker, who played a key role in Resident Evil 6, will appear in the Netflix series.
Showrunner Andrew Dabb previously confirmed to IGN that Wesker actually died in the final battle in Resident Evil 5 and not simply fake his death as he often did in the past. Somehow, Wesker is back, and he seems relative saneer than him in most games. Is it possible that we will learn that Wesker is some kind of deranged clone, and that the original has remained faithful to Umbrella all this time?
Whatever the secret of Wesker’s return, it is clear that he is still pursuing his ultimate agenda of advancing human evolution. The 2036 post-apocalyptic storyline sees Wesker finally unleashing its creation on the world, leaving a dwindling population to fight for its survival against billions of zombies and other monsters. The worst monster Umbrella has to offer.
How do you think Wesker survived his death in Resident Evil 5? How will the Netflix series build on the game’s foundation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. And for more Netflix Geeked Week coverage, keep going everything that has been revealed at the event so far.
Jesse is a courtesy staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your wits by follow @jschedeen on Twitter.
