Resident Evil star Austin Abrams explains Bryan’s ‘tragic’ ending and hints at a sequel

Austin Abrams has now spoken about the ending of Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil, including whether Bryan’s voice message reached Michelle and if there’s going to be a sequel.

Austin Abrams plays Bryan, a medical courier who gets caught in the middle of a T-virus outbreak. After making his way to Raccoon City General, he delivers the key ingredient needed for a cure, but the scientists fail to finish it before Bryan succumbs to the infection. He eventually becomes the amalgamation creature seen throughout the film.

Abrams said he was surprised when he first read that Bryan would not survive. He told The Hollywood Reporter, “I thought it was crazy and shocking when I first read it. I love that Zach takes those risks. You follow this one guy the whole time, so hopefully you’re enjoying watching him and rooting for him.”

He added, “Then to have him not make it is really risky and gutsy, which is what I love about all of Zach’s work. So I was surprised by it, but I also loved that he would take that chance.”

Before Bryan fully loses himself to the infection, he records a voice message for his partner Michelle.

So, did Michelle receive Bryan’s message?

Earlier in the film, he had reacted badly to her pregnancy and told her that he wanted to preserve their current life rather than have a child. But by the time he records the message, he has changed his mind.

He realises that he loves Michelle, wants to have the baby with her and is ready to start a family. He ends the recording by telling her, “I think you’d be an amazing mom.”

The film never shows Michelle receiving the message. But Abrams gave some hope by saying, “I don’t remember if I did, but who knows? Maybe he sent his voice memo while going up the staircase, and it’s just something we didn’t get to see.”

He added, “She thinks he doesn’t want to have this baby, when he actually does. He realises, ‘No, I love her. Having a kid isn’t as scary as I thought, and I want to do it with her.’”

He then said, “So the fact that she’ll never know that is pretty damn tragic. He changed and got better, but no one will ever know about it. There’s something really beautiful and tragic about that.”

Is there going to be a Resident Evil sequel?

There is no officially confirmed Resident Evil sequel yet. However, director Zach Cregger has said that he already has ideas about where the story could go.

He previously explained to Comic Book, “This movie was designed to be a one-off, so that itch was scratched, yes. But I can’t help myself. Like there are always ideas percolating, and I already have some thoughts of like what could happen… going forward. So who knows, dude; anything can happen.”

When asked more recently about a possible Resident Evil 2, Cregger said, “I have no idea,” before adding, “There’s always ideas. You cannot not have ideas.”

There is also no confirmation that Abrams would return as Bryan. His character becomes the amalgamation creature at the end of the first film, meaning any potential follow-up would have plenty to explain if Bryan were to appear again.

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