Zach Cregger's new take on Capcom's horror franchise has left a good number of fans divided over how the "Resident Evil" movie wrapped up.
The director addressed that reaction directly, revealing the finished film almost went in a completely different direction before landing on the version audiences are now watching.
Zach Cregger's 'Resident Evil' Ending Has Divided Fans
"Resident Evil" arrived in theaters as an entirely original story rather than a retelling of any specific game, following medical courier Bryan as he gets caught in the middle of an outbreak while delivering a package to Raccoon City. 'Cregger has been open throughout production about wanting the film to exist on the sidelines of the games rather than retelling a story fans already know, saying he had no interest in adapting Leon's story since the games already told that story so well.
Despite that approach earning praise from plenty of critics and longtime fans of the games, the film's conclusion has become the most talked about part of the movie, according to GameSpot. It has split audiences between those who found it a bold, faithful nod to the survival horror genre and those who walked away feeling let down.
What Happens in 'Resident Evil' (2026)'s Ending?
*Spoiler warning ahead for anyone who has not seen the film yet.
By the end of the movie, Bryan has fully transformed into a T-Virus monster after being bitten earlier in the story, eventually turning on and killing the Umbrella scientists holding him. The last surviving character is on the verge of curing him using a hastily prepared antidote, only to die themselves in the process.
The syringe carrying the cure slips from their hand and falls from the building, taking with it any chance of saving Bryan and closing the film without the happy ending some viewers were hoping for.
Zach Cregger Disagrees With Fans
Speaking about the divided reaction, Cregger explained to Collider that the ending actually went through significant changes before reaching its final form, revealing that an earlier version of the script was almost completely different from what ended up in theaters.
He has described going through multiple passes on how the story should close, weighing outcomes that would have given Bryan a very different fate than the one that made it to the screen, before ultimately settling on the bleaker version fans are now reacting to.
Cregger has not gone into detail publicly about exactly what that earlier version entailed, keeping specifics of the scrapped ending under wraps even while acknowledging its existence.
Despite the mixed response, Cregger has stood by the choice he ultimately made, framing the bleaker conclusion as a deliberate decision rather than something he regrets. He has also been firm about not wanting to make another franchise film after this one, saying he prefers writing stories built around his own instincts rather than shaping a script to satisfy every expectation tied to an existing property.
For Cregger, delivering an ending that stays true to the tone he set throughout the film mattered more than giving audiences the conventional survival story some had anticipated going in.
