The Resident Evil franchise has been one of the most talked about gaming series around as of late. First taking the spotlight to announce the Resident Evil 4 Remake in Sony's State of Play, along with the reveal that Resident Evil Village is heading to PSVR2 on release, the Resident Evil franchise made a pretty sizable impact at the start of this psuedo-E3 season. As if it hadn't taken the limelight enough, Resident Evil dominated Capcom's own showcase, with Resident Evil 4 Remake getting some gameplay, current-gen versions of the last few remakes getting shadow-dropped, and the long-awaited story DLC for Resident Evil Village finally being announced.
Ever since Resident Evil Village's release back in May 2021, there's been a great deal of speculation over a possible story DLC for the game. But over the last year, fans had started to lose hope, with no announcement coming at any of Capcom's presentations. Thankfully though, just a few days ago, Capcom finally showed its hand, and confirmed that Resident Evil Village will receive a pretty substantial story and Mercenaries DLC on October 28, 2022. With Resident Evil 4 Remake on the horizon, some fans have theorized that Leon Kennedy may make an appearance.
How Leon Kennedy Could Return in Resident Evil Village's DLC
The last time fans of Resident Evil got to see Leon Kennedy in the current chronology was during the events of Resident Evil 6. After his escape from Raccoon City, and his run-in with the Granados, Leon is forced to kill the President of the United States, who has been infected with the C-Virus. While on the run from the government, who believe he's responsible for the murder of the President, Leon ventures out to find Simmons, the man who has created the C-Virus.
After running into Sherry Berkin, who he rescued in Resident Evil 2, Leon and Ada Wong take out Simmons, thus clearing his name. In Resident Evil: Vendetta, the animated film, Leon suffers from PTSD and has to be persuaded to join the fight once again by Chris Redfield. Though he agrees to join Redfield in his war against bioterrorism, Leon remains skeptical about the world's future, finding it hard to see the difference he's made to it.
Though the current timeline of the Resident Evil franchise is a little up-in-air right now, with some believing that Resident Evil 7 marks a reboot of sorts for the series, that hasn't been confirmed yet. So, in theory, Resident Evil 7, and by extension Resident Evil Village, could be continuations of the timeline, with Resident Evil 7 taking place in 2017 and Resident Evil Village being set in 2021.
Resident Evil Village ends with main protagonist Ethan Winters sacrificing himself to destroy the Megamycete, and save his just-resurrected daughter, Rosemary and her mother Mia. Both Mia and Rosemary are lead to safety by Chris Redfield, who reveals that the Village's inhabitants were actually bioweapons. The Resident Evil Village post-credits scene shows an older Rosemary visit her father's grave, before being escorted into a secret service-like vehicle.
The upcoming Resident Evil Village DLC, titled Shadows of Rose, takes place 16 years after the game's main story and sees Rose battle with her own supernatural powers. In an attempt to rid herself of these powers, Rose enters the Megamycete's consciousnesses, which will apparently lead to a warped version of reality.
Though the story will certainly be centered on Rose, there may be room for Leon Kennedy to appear in this DLC. If the post-credits tease is anything to go by, Rose may currently be in the care of the anti-bioterrorism group, which the likes of Chris Redfield work for. Leon Kennedy is also often affiliated with this group, so it's more than possible that at one stage during the DLC, Leon could make a heroic appearance.
While Capcom would have to handle the cameo carefully, ensuring that it actually fits the narrative of the DLC and the overall Winters story, bringing Leon Kennedy back into the franchise in its current timeline would be a smart move. Not only is Leon one of the most beloved characters in the entire series, but he's also the main protagonist of the upcoming Resident Evil 4 Remake, so giving him a cameo in Resident Evil Village's DLC could build hype for the remake.
Resident Evil Village Gold Edition will release on October 28th, 2022, for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.