Hideo Kojima Officially Shuts Down Resident Evil’s Biggest Criticism

Despite Zach Cregger‘s Resident Evil being an iconic 2026 horror movie, the film received criticism for not following the video game to the core. Well, industry legend Hideo Kojima just shut down the movie’s biggest criticism with a tweet that would make any Resident Evil fan agree.

The Death Stranding director took to X and talked about his thoughts on the Zach Cregger movie. Kojima stated that this wasn’t any video game adaptation, but rather a film “about the experience of playing ‘Resident Evil’, controller in hand”.

I wasn’t particularly interested at first, but since it’s Zach Cregger’s latest film, I went to see “Resident Evil.” Right from the opening, it hits you with music reminiscent of “The Thing.” From there, it’s a relentless barrage of classic horror techniques, terrifying situations, and jump scares that never lets up until the very end. This isn’t a film adaptation of “Resident Evil.” It’s a film about the experience of playing “Resident Evil,” controller in hand. It reminded me of how I felt when I first played the original “Resident Evil” on PlayStation back in 1996. I was just like Bryan in this movie. I kept getting game over after game over, shouting “F***!” over and over again. lol I’m also happy I managed to pick up a program for “Digger.”

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) October 12, 2026

Kojima recalled that the film took him back to his earlier days of playing Resident Evil on the original PlayStation back in 1996.

It reminded me of how I felt when I first played the original ‘Resident Evil’ on PlayStation back in 1996. I was just like Bryan in this movie. I kept getting game over after game over, shouting ‘F***!’ over and over again.

We do agree with Kojima. Although the 2026 horror film received worldwide fame and success, it faced criticism due to the tone of the movie, as well as Cregger not picking a known protagonist (like Leon or Jill) for an adaptation. Well, Cregger already had an answer ready for the latter.

Why Zach Cregger Wanted an Unknown Protagonist for Resident Evil

In the 2026 film, Austin Abrams portrays the role of Bryan, an everyday man who gets stuck in hell while delivering medical supplies from Point A of the city to Point B.

Naturally, fans had a problem when Cregger didn’t have a famous protagonist like Leon or Jill as the main lead. Speaking to PlayStation Blog, the director admitted that he made the film considering how he would react if he were to suddenly enter the world of Resident Evil.

Austin is very much like an avatar for me, or what I expect the average video game player would react if they were thrust into the game themselves. So he’s just a normal guy. He’s not particularly good at combat in any way, shape, or form. And so it was really fun to just think, how would I react authentically if I saw a mutant dog attack me?

Although fans had a problem with not having a famous protagonist taking the lead in the Zach Cregger movie, the film’s box office success is proof enough that people liked the film.

Alongside the box office success, we can’t help but notice one similarity between Cregger’s movie and arguably the best Resident Evil video game: that is, the perfect answer to critics wanting famous protagonists.

Zach Cregger’s Choice Is Similar to Arguably the Best RE Game

It was the year 2017 when the Resident Evil video game franchise had the comeback of a lifetime with the release of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. The video game was disconnected from the main storyline, with the only connection being the virus that turns people into the infected.

However, one thing to note in the 2017 video game is that the protagonist, Ethan Winters, was a systems engineer. Neither a fighter nor an athlete, he was an ordinary human who came to the house in search of his missing wife, Mia.

Despite not featuring any famous protagonist in the leading role, RE7: Biohazard, the video game has sold a total of 17.4 million copies around the world, as of May 2026 (via Capcom).

Side-by-side, Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil, which also does not feature a famous protagonist, earned a whopping $320 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo, as of October 12, 2026). Therefore, both the Cregger movie and the Capcom video game proved that famous protagonists aren’t necessary to make projects successful.

Do you think Resident Evil needed a famous protagonist? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Resident Evil is currently screening in theaters.