A single prop in the new Resident Evil trailer just broke the internet. Fans watching Zach Cregger’s breakdown video noticed lead character Bryan casually using an iPhone during what is supposed to be the T-Virus outbreak. Since that outbreak happened in 1998 in the games, and the first iPhone launched in 2007, the internet went into full detective mode. But here is the thing — there is a clean explanation, and it actually makes the movie more interesting.
The iPhone That Wasn’t Supposed to Exist
In the latest trailer, fans noticed that the lead character Bryan, played by Austin Abrams, is holding something quite interesting during one of the scenes.
That something is an iPhone. A smartphone that did not exist in September 1998, when Capcom’s original games set the T-Virus outbreak in Raccoon City.
The first iPhone was not released until June 2007 — nearly a full decade after the fictional Raccoon City disaster. So naturally, fans started asking the obvious question: why does Bryan have a phone that shouldn’t exist?
Debates around whether the Resident Evil movie was lore accurate enough went viral online, with one user on X writing, “So, this is basically a generic horror movie, and they just slapped the Resident Evil name on it.”
The Explanation Is Simpler Than You Think
It seems that Zach Cregger’s words have been taken literally. Yes, this Resident Evil movie does take place in Raccoon City during the opening moments of the outbreak. But this outbreak doesn’t occur in 1998; it’s an alternative universe, with its outbreak taking place during a more modern-day timeline.
The film is set in modern times, during the alternate events of Resident Evil 2, following Bryan, a medical courier who is caught in a viral outbreak of infected monsters in Raccoon City and has to fight for survival.
Cregger himself made this crystal clear in an interview. In an April 2026 interview with PlayStation Blog, Cregger elaborated by stating he wrote the film to take place concurrently with the events of the Raccoon City outbreak in Resident Evil 2, but through a different perspective, set in modern time. He stated: “I wanted to construct a story that could live in the world of Resident Evil and be maybe on the periphery of the events of Resident Evil 2, where Raccoon City is having its big night, but tell another story that could be happening in parallel to that.”
In short — same city, same chaos, different century.
Who Is Bryan and Why Does He Matter
According to Sony Pictures’ official synopsis, Bryan is a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in an action-packed, non-stop race for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.
There are no signs of Resident Evil staples such as Leon S. Kennedy, Jill Valentine, Ada Wong, or the Redfield siblings. The film gives a civilian point of view, with an ordinary person fighting for their life during the T-Virus outbreak. Bryan is an original character created specifically for the movie.
Cregger was very deliberate about this choice. Bryan is described as “just a normal guy” with no combat training or special skills, written to react in real time as the situation escalates. As Cregger puts it, “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.”
That is a genuinely clever angle. Instead of polished heroes blasting through zombies, you get someone stumbling through Raccoon City the same way most players feel during their first playthrough.
- Character: Bryan (played by Austin Abrams)
- Occupation: Medical courier
- Setting: Raccoon City during the modern-day T-Virus outbreak
- Supporting cast: Paul Walter Hauser, Kali Reis, Zach Cherry, Johnno Wilson
- Timeline: Parallel to Resident Evil 2 events, set in present day
- Release date: September 18, 2026
The Rocky History Behind Every Resident Evil Movie
This moment of fan confusion is just the latest chapter in a very long and painful story for Resident Evil on the big screen.
The original 2002 Paul W.S. Anderson film, starring Milla Jovovich as Alice, made $103 million on a $33 million budget. Despite its commercial performance, it was a critical failure, currently holding 36% on Rotten Tomatoes.
That film and its five sequels have passed over $1 billion collectively at the box office. People kept paying to watch them, even as critics kept panning them.
Then came the 2021 reset. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City grossed just $42 million worldwide on a $25 million budget and received mixed-to-negative reviews. A sequel was planned but cancelled due to the film’s commercial failure.
Constantin Film began planning another Resident Evil reboot in early 2022, following the critical and commercial failure of Welcome to Raccoon City and the cancellation of the 2022 Netflix television series. The franchise was once again back at square one.
Why Zach Cregger Feels Different This Time
There is a reason the general reaction to this project leans more optimistic than usual, even with the iPhone controversy swirling around it.
In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Zach Cregger clarified that he isn’t interested in directing scripts written by other people, as he wants to be personally involved with the writing process of everything he works on. This stance exhibits an admirable conviction that might be the key to finally breaking the so-called video game adaptation curse.
Following the massive success of Weapons, which earned $269 million worldwide, Cregger is one of the hottest directors working today.
In September 2025, Cregger stated he had never seen any of the previous Resident Evil movies, and the upcoming film would be more closely based on the video game series, particularly Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, and Resident Evil 4.
He even drew a clear line in the sand when it came to beloved game characters. He told GamesRadar: “Leon exists in the games. I don’t want anyone to ruin that for me. I figure if I am honoring the games, I’m just going to tell another story that feels like playing in the world of the game. I’m not recasting Leon, god forbid. I’m letting Leon stay Leon.”
That is the kind of answer that actually sounds like it comes from someone who plays the games.
Cregger has responded to the divisive reaction to the trailer with honesty. After directing one of the most acclaimed horror movies in recent memory, fans were delighted to hear he would helm a new Resident Evil movie, but audiences were still divided when the trailer dropped. “It’s been a wild week since the teaser came out to see the divided reaction online,” he said. “There’s so many people that clearly really want the video game, meaning the characters and story from the video game, and anything different than that is really not welcomed. I didn’t realize how passionate some people were about that.”
The iPhone is not a plot hole. It is a sign that this Resident Evil is doing something the franchise has never dared to do before — tell a completely fresh story in a modern world, while still honoring the spirit of the games that built it. Whether Cregger nails the landing is a question only September 18 can answer. But for the first time in a very long time, the question at least feels worth asking.
Do you think Zach Cregger’s modern-day take on Raccoon City is the right call, or do you want a faithful 1998 adaptation? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
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