Despite rumors that fans would get a glimpse at the next mainline Resident Evil game before the end of 2024, the series remains conspicuously silent. Still, that silence has done little to slow down the rumor mill about what the next Resident Evil games arriving might be, with everything from Resident Evil 9 to modern remakes of Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil – CODE: Veronica being on the table. Regardless of what form the next Resident Evil release takes, all signs point to series mainstay and iconic villain Albert Wesker playing a major role, which can only be seen as a good thing for the series’ continued renaissance.
There are many villains across the Resident Evil franchise, but few if any have the same staying power as the series’ original antagonist, Albert Wesker. Wesker’s place as the de facto face of the Umbrella Corporation and its nefarious schemes has seen him appear time and again throughout the franchise, often as a thorn in the side of each game’s protagonist and a wonderfully over-the-top foil to the hero. The Resident Evil series is set to return to legacy characters in the next mainline entry, which primes Albert Wesker’s triumphant return following his cameos in the Separate Ways DLC for the Resident Evil 4 remake.
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New Mainline Resident Evil Games and Remakes Point to Wesker Being a Prominent Figure
The Resident Evil series is possibly in its best position ever, with the mainline entries and modern remakes of classic games topping sales charts and pleasing new and longtime fans. Incidentally, it’s surprising that the series’ lore has reached a bit of an impasse given the events of Resident Evil Village. With the stage set for a new protagonist to take center stage, the next mainline Resident Evil has an opportunity to return to legacy characters like Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, making Albert Wesker the perfect choice for a legacy villain to meet them head-on.
But Resident Evil 9 is far from the only new game in the series players can look forward to, as months of leaks seem to suggest that Capcom is working on more remakes of classic games, with CODE: Veronica and Resident Evil 5 the most likely candidates. Regardless of Capcom’s direction with the next series remake, Wesker will feature prominently in either game. It’s worth noting that this is all preceded (and possibly even hinted at) by Wesker’s cameos in the most recent Resident Evil release, the Separate Ways DLC for 2023’s Resident Evil 4 remake.
Why Wesker Is Such an Important Villain in the Resident Evil Canon
In a series with no shortage of iconic villains and monsters, Resident Evil still comes back to Wesker time and again thanks to the character’s overall importance in the series canon. As a double agent–and a triple-crossing one, at that–Wesker is instrumental in both the research that gives birth to the T-Virus and bringing the members of S.T.A.R.S. to Resident Evil‘s Spencer Mansion, making him a central figure in kicking off the events that give rise to the entire franchise timeline. While one could make a case for Oswell Spencer, Edward Ashford, and James Marcus being the true villains, none of these figures are as hands-on as Wesker throughout the series.
Despite its enduring legacy as one of gaming’s most important franchises and its claim to fame for naming the survival horror genre, Resident Evil can’t last forever. There’s every chance that the ninth mainline entry in the series could serve as a full-circle moment to cathartically witness Chris and Jill’s crusade against bioterrorism come to a climactic end, and there’s no more fitting villain to stand in their way than the one who’s responsible for it all in the first place – Albert Wesker.
