Borderlands Movie: Where is Mordecai and Brick?

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Borderlands

By Cameron Swan

Published Mar 3, 2024

Highlights

The Borderlands movie faces controversy over casting as iconic characters like Brick and Mordecai are left out.
While cast additions like Tiny Tina and Dr. Tannis may bring novelty, the absence of Brick and Mordecai may alienate a portion of the fanbase.

The Borderlands movie was already one of the most controversial video game adaptations long before its most recent trailer hit the internet. A history almost a decade in the making, talks surrounding a Borderlands movie were first had in May 2015, where Saw star Leigh Whannell expressed his interest in bringing the beloved video game franchise to the big screen. While Lionsgate moved forward with the idea, Whannell was seemingly cut from the production, and that was just the first sign of controversy from the Borderlands movie.

Over the last nine years, Borderlands has seen several different directors attach their names only to drop out months later and has seen multiple, major documented script rewrites, with one of the latest apparently rewriting Craig Mazin's 2020 script. Then there's the strange 2021 promotional video that featured Gearbox's controversial Randy Pitchford in a prominent role. And now, almost a decade after beginning production, the Borderlands movie has finally released its first trailer, and reactions have been pretty mixed. One of the biggest concerns is over the movie's cast, and in particular, the lack of iconic characters like Brick and Mordecai.

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Where Are Mordecai and Brick in the Borderlands Movie?

Mordecai and Brick Are Essential Parts of the Borderlands Universe

Two of the most beloved characters in the entire Borderlands franchise, Brick and Mordecai play pretty major roles across the entire series. Debuting back in 2009, Brick and Mordecai make up half of the first Borderlands' original playable line-up, with Lilith and Roland taking the remaining two slots. Founding members of the Crimson Raiders, long-time Borderlands fans have grown quite a strong connection to these two characters.

On top of their debut appearances, Mordecai and Brick also appear in Borderlands' two mainline sequels. In Borderlands 2, Mordecai assists the player in three very memorable main story missions, and Brick—as the Slab King—is the central figure of his very own questline. Both characters also pop up in Borderlands 3 during the mission Hammerlocked. Though Mordecai and Brick aren't playable in the Borderlands sequels, they're arguably given much more character here than in their own game, being given unique storylines and character arcs.

The Borderlands Movie Replacing Mordecai and Brick Is a Bit of a Double-Edged Sword

But despite being two of the original Borderlands' four playable characters, and despite being two of the most beloved characters in the franchise, Brick and Mordecai are not currently set to appear in the Borderlands movie. Instead, the Borderlands movie sees Lilith and Roland be joined by Tiny Tina, Krieg, and Dr. Tannis, an approach that already feels like a double-edged sword.

On one hand, the Borderlands movie doesn't need to be a direct adaptation of the source material, and having a mixed cast of characters from across the series does add a sense of novelty to the movie. While these characters have interacted a few times across the Borderlands franchise, any shared screen time is minimal.

It could be fun to see Lilith and Roland interact more with Tiny Tina and Krieg, a team-up that hasn't really been seen before in the series.

But on the other hand, not putting Brick and Mordecai in the Borderlands movie is a surefire way to put off a good portion of the fanbase. Brick and Mordecai play big roles not just in the first Borderlands game, but the entire series, and though there's room for them to appear in future movies (depending on the first's critical and commercial reception) not having them here for the get-go feels like a strange missed opportunity.

Borderlands

Borderlands is an action RPG first-person shooter created by Gearbox Software and published by 2K Games. The series is commonly called a looter shooter set in a space Western style, where players can select from multiple classes that can level up and acquire new skills. The franchise has quickly become one of the best-selling franchises and produced spin-offs like Tales from the Borderlands as well as a film adaptation being developed by Lionsgate.