Despite the Resident Evil saga racking up eight live-action adaptations (and counting), I can’t believe none have recreated Mr. X’s unforgettable introduction. The Resident Evil movie franchise is the most successful series based on a video game, and they turned Milla Jovovich into an action star. I’ve always had a soft spot for the series (though Afterlife is a tough hang), but the way they essentially ignored the games always annoyed me. They use iconography and characters, but they barely resemble horror movies at all.

Of course, certain moments from the games were so iconic that the movies had to steal them. For example, the original movie featured zombie dogs jumping through the window like in the first Resident Evil game. At the same time, the 2021 reboot recreated the nightmarish image of the zombie looking over its shoulder. Still, there are many moments and creatures the movies have yet to recreate, including the Hunters or Mr. X.

I Can’t Believe The Live-Action Resident Evils Still Haven’t Used Mr. X’s Introduction

This Terminator-like stalker is a Resident Evil icon

Introduced during Resident Evil 2, Mr. X is a trenchcoat-wearing Umbrella tyrant who chases after the game’s heroes – often popping up at most inopportune times. I can still remember his introduction cut scene from the 1998 original, where he’s dropped via helicopter into the RPD and is later seen casually walking down a corridor, coming at the player. It’s a classic moment in a game filled with them, though 2019’s Resident Evil 2 remake arguably did it even better.

This sees Mr X popping up out of nowhere, lifting the wreckage of a crashed helicopter and then pursuing players for the rest of their time in the RPD. For reasons I can’t surmise, the Resident Evil movies have neither recreated Mr. X’s intro nor tried to bring him into one of the sequels. He’s one of the most cinematic monsters from the property and instantly raises players’ blood pressure whenever he appears.

He would even be one of the more cost-effective monsters to recreate, since instead of using animatronics or CGI, a muscle-bound actor could play Mr. X in a costume. The 2019 remake elevated Mr. X’s pop culture status and I can’t believe movie reboot Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City didn’t include him. The Jovovich era also tended to reuse the same creatures (the Lickers, the Cerberus, etc.), so it feels like a wasted opportunity not to swap them out with Mr.X for at least one installment.

A Mr. X “Cameo” Was Cut From Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City

He was eXcised from the final edit

Earlier drafts of Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City featured a roster of classic monsters. Concept art was drawn up for creatures like the Hunters, mutant shark Neptune, and Mr. X himself. I like that the film made a real effort to honor the games, but budget cuts to Welcome to Raccoon City during pre-production resulted in an adaptation that failed to live up to its ambitions. Director Johannes Roberts (The Strangers: Prey at Night) himself is a big fan of Resident Evil and tried to add a sneaky Mr. X cameo.

Sadly, all Mr. X’s Welcome to Raccoon City appearance amounted to was his head appearing in a glᴀss jar in William Birkin’s (Neal McDonough) lab. I’ve seen an image of Mr. X’s prop head (via Reddit), and yeah, it’s for the best this moment was snipped out of the film. Given how overstuffed the reboot’s narrative ended up, there wasn’t much room for Mr. X anyway. On that note, it would have been nice to replace the Licker or zombie dogs – who had both featured in multiple Jovovich outings – with some other creatures from the games instead.

I Hope Resident Evil’s Next Reboot Finally Introduces Mr. X

Is the eighth time the charm for Mr. X?

I’m genuinely excited to see what Zach Cregger does with the next movie. Barbarian itself felt like a proof of concept of what Cregger could do with Resident Evil, and it would be nice to see at least one live-action entry that served up genuine tension and suspense. I’d also like to see some of the more neglected enemies from the games make their debuts, too. The Hunters have caused many nightmares for fans of the property, but have yet to make the literal leap to the big screen.

Mr. X would be a terrifying monster in a film reboot, too. His appearance in the Resident Evil 2 remake increased his popularity. Since neither the previous films nor Netflix’s TV series used him, his live-action appearance would add something unique. His introduction in both versions of the second game is petrifying, so I’d love to see Cregger recreate it.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes, Reddit