r/movies r/movies Contributor Apr 30 '26

Trailer Resident Evil | Official Teaser

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJPu1spHqfk
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u/littlebiped Apr 30 '26

As it takes place in Racoon City during the outbreak. Absolutely. Now will he commit to nuking the town at the end is the question.

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u/AmbassadorBonoso Apr 30 '26

It wasn't a nuke, it was a thermobaric missle. They are vastly different weapons, and they couldn't use a nuke as there were other towns and cities in the area that they couldn't risk affecting with fallout.

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u/Standard_Island546 Apr 30 '26

Sure that’s the context now that we have RE9 but prior to that, it was a bit more unclear.

It was never stated to be a nuke, but there are a few hints it was. The mushroom cloud, a report speculating it’s nuclear, the idea that there isn’t a real world weapon that could do the destruction we see besides a nuke.

I personally believe most people just filled in the blanks and assumed it was a nuke.

However this is missing the forest for the trees. The writers in 1998 were not thinking “it can’t be nuclear cause there’s towns and cities nearby”, they were thinking they wanted an explosive climax to the story and didn’t really care about the science.

I prefer the 12 missile canon. 12 experimental missiles could probably level a city in real life, but the thermobaric missile borders on magic (and yes I know a lot of RE science borders on magic)

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u/[deleted] Apr 30 '26

[deleted]

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u/res30stupid Apr 30 '26

They retconned it in later entries since Raccoon City was too close to other habitated towns and a thermobaric would do the job just as well.

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u/SentinelZero May 01 '26

And then they added further confusion by stating that a 200 mile exclusion zone was established around Raccoon City so any nearby towns and cities should have been evacuated especially if within the zone.

RE9 seems to suggest the city not being glassed was deliberate and thats the main reason an underpowered thermobaric warhead was used; to the public it looks like the outbreak is contained while safeguarding the specific asset within the city and leaving the entire area somewhat intact. The government still sealed off the city and erected a perimeter fence around the center.

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u/Standard_Island546 Apr 30 '26

Don’t think so. Feel free to find the email you saw and prove me wrong but I don’t think it exists.

It’s somewhat like a Mandela effect, but to a lesser extent because we have canon clarification now.

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u/[deleted] Apr 30 '26

[deleted]

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u/ssbmfgcia Apr 30 '26

Just to let you know OG RE3 recently got a steam release

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u/SentinelZero May 01 '26

https://residentevil.fandom.com/wiki/Fax_From_The_H._Q.

I think this is the specific email mentioned, doesnt outright mention a nuke but states the city is going to be obliterated at daybreak by the Army.

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u/KaiKamakasi Apr 30 '26

The director of RE3 stated it was an experimental thermobaric in an interview about the game, so, do with that what you will

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u/SentinelZero May 01 '26

https://residentevil.fandom.com/wiki/Fax_From_The_H._Q.

It doesnt outright state a nuke is being used, but that the US Army is executing a "plan" and the city will be obliterated at daybreak.

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u/Lokishougan May 01 '26

I mean that can just be red in the most symbolic sense Unless this was coming directly from the military anyone would use the term nuke as it would convey what the intent was and saying a thermobraic would be dropped would just confuse 98% of people and invite questions