Having robots or some kind of artificial life rise up and control future society is a common trope in science fiction. Sometimes it’s an outright apocalypse, like in Terminator or Battlestar Galactica. Sometimes, when the robots take over, it’s like the ending of the book version of I, Robot, in which the robots take over, but nobody notices because humans are just fine. But what always made the Replicants of Blade Runner different was simple: They weren’t in charge. But now, with the new streaming series, Blade Runner 2099, the basic paradigm of the franchise — that Replicants are hunted by humans — has been inverted.
At San Diego Comic-Con 2026, the first images, cast details, and new trailer for Blade Runner: 2049 were all released. Here’s what to know about the fast-approaching show, and why the central premise of Blade Runner has been flipped on its head.
