Capcom Director Says Leon Could Be a Protagonist Even At 70 Years Old

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Capcom Director Says Leon Could Be a Protagonist And Still Hot Even at 70

Published May 4, 2026, 11:55 AM EDT

Tay Garcia is a Staff Writer at DualShockers and a Brazilian journalist who has been covering games professionally since 2017. Her work spans news, reviews, previews, lists, guides, and features, with a particular focus on horror, retro games, theories, puzzle games, Metroidvanias, Soulslikes, and story-driven titles.

Before joining DualShockers, Tay worked as an assistant editor and contributed to Jovem Nerd, one of Brazil’s largest pop culture outlets, as well as Editora Europa, a major Brazilian publisher known for gaming and technology magazines. She has also worked as a streamer, YouTube creator, and podcaster. Tay holds a B.A. in Journalism, has postgraduate training in Social Media, and is certified in professional video game journalism. She was also a member of Podcast UP, which won the Cubo de Ouro Award for Best Podcast in Brazil in 2021.

If you have cleared Resident Evil Requiem and are already craving more of Leon S. Kennedy’s signature backflips (and his ability to maintain his leading-man looks despite the odds), Capcom has some fantastic news for you.

In a recent interview (thanks, Eurogamer), director Koshi Nakanishi affirmed that the development team isn’t looking to refresh the main cast just for the sake of chronological logic, indicating that there are no immediate plans to replace classic characters, regardless of how much time passes within the series’ lore.

Age is Just a Number for Resident Evil

Capcom Director Says Leon Could Be a Protagonist And Still Hot Even at 70 2

Nakanishi highlights that Leon remains a vital pillar of the franchise, even as he approaches 50 in the current timeline. And apparently, that won't change even when he hits 70! This basically means we can expect an older, grittier version of Leon still battling bioterrorism somewhere – perhaps while making time for a quick round of bingo at a Ganado village.

"I mean, I think Leon is really appealing in his current form," Nakanishi explains. "And who knows, we could bring him back when he's 70, and I'm sure he'll still be a great character."

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Masato Kumzawa talks about the positive fan reaction to Grace Ashcroft's original character model.

By specifically using the word “appealing,” it seems Capcom knows exactly what the fans want: a still hot version of Leon that maintains his legendary physique and good looks. After all, if the T-Virus doesn't age well, Leon certainly does.

Nakanishi goes on and highlights that Leon remains a vital pillar of the franchise, even as he approaches 50 in the current timeline. And apparently, that won't change even when he hits 70!

On the other hand, Nakanishi also celebrated the reception of the series' newest face, Grace Ashcroft. Introduced in Resident Evil Requiem, she has quickly won over players with her more vulnerable approach to survival horror, which was the original goal of the dev team.

"Compared to some of our more stoic characters who've been through a lot in Resident Evil, this is [Grace’s] first time experiencing anything like this," the director noted. "She's very emotionally expressive about the fear she goes through... and it's something I think players have just really responded to. Because she's so relatable, you root for her."

In the end, whether we are rooting for a terrified newcomer or a legendary veteran, the future of the franchise seems to be in very capable hands. Resident Evil Requiem is currently available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.