Resident Evil Fans Spot Major Plot Hole — But There’s Actually an Explanation

The latest trailer for the next attempt at rebooting the live-action Resident Evil franchise has arrived, and fans have noticed a potential plot hole, but there is an actual explanation.

When it comes to Resident Evil live-action movies, fans of the iconic survival horror series from Capcom have had it rough. The movies from Paul W. S. Anderson, starring his wife, Milla Jovovich, are so bad that we’ve had to convince our brains that at least one of them is serviceable.

We hoped that 2021’s Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, a movie with a new story, setting and actors, would be better. Not to mention that it was inspired by the first two games in the video game series. But nope, that was absolute pants too, I suppose, at least the animated productions are decent enough, for the most part.

Is Zach Creggar The First Director To Get Resident Evil Right?

Later this year, we’re getting yet another Resident Evil live-action movie, and despite being burned so often over the years, the general feeling across social media is that there is a degree of optimism with this latest attempt.

After all, it’s directed and written by Zach Creggar, the man behind the fantastic horror movies Barbarian and Weapons. That being said, this attempt does not appear to be a direct adaptation, more loosely connected. I’m going in with the mindset that it looks like a promising horror that just so happens to be called Resident Evil.

During its build-up, Zach Creggar has claimed to be a huge fan of the Resident Evil series, a claim that we’ve heard before from different actors and directors. So, it’s understandable if fans have a degree of scepticism with that statement. It’s not that I don't believe Creggar, because I do. It’s just that fans have heard it all before.

However, in the latest trailer that features snippets of the movie, but mostly commentary from Zach Creggar, fans noticed that the lead character, Bryan, played by Austin Abrams (Weapons), is holding something quite interesting.

During one of the scenes, Bryan can be seen using a flashlight on what looks to be an iPhone. Now, if this movie were set in the current day, no one would question that. Yet, Zach Creggar’s movie is supposed to be set during the opening moments of the T-Virus outbreak, which occurred in September 1998, at least in the video games. However, the first iPhone wasn't released until 2007.

Why is Bryan using an iPhone?

Quite clearly, an iPhone shouldn't have existed in 1998. That being said, it’s easy to get our wires crossed when Zach Creggar says that his Resident Evil movie takes place during the opening moments of the T-Virus outbreak.

It seems that Zach Creggar’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 (if you will), with its outbreak taking place during a more modern-day timeline.

Resident Evil will be released in cinemas on 19 September 2026.

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