Leon Kennedy in the Resident Evil Movies

Leon Kennedy appears in two separate film runs, played by a different actor each time. He is credited as Leon S. Kennedy in resident evil retribution (2012), directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, where Johann Urb plays him. He is credited as Leon Kennedy in resident evil welcome to raccoon city (2021), directed by Johannes Roberts, where Avan Jogia plays him.

The two versions do not share a story. The first run is Anderson's six film saga, which follows alice resident evil (a character created for the films, not taken from the games). The 2021 film is a reboot with a new cast. So, if you are asking whether the Leon from Retribution is the same man as the Leon from Welcome to Raccoon City, the answer is no: they are separate takes on one character.

Leon himself comes from Capcom's games, where he is tied to Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 4, and he is the character many searches connect to the recent Resident Evil Requiem coverage. Those games carry their own voice and motion capture credits, and performers such as Nick Apostolides, Matthew Mercer and Koshi Nakanishi are names that belong to Capcom's game casting, not to the films. The films cast Leon with on screen actors only, and game characters who share his stories, such as Ashley, stay in the games. For how the two media differ, see resident evil games vs movies.

He is not among the top billed cast of Resident Evil (2002), Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Resident Evil: Extinction, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter or Zach Cregger's Resident Evil (2026). For the full list of faces, see resident evil characters and resident evil cast.

Leon's closest ties in Welcome to Raccoon City are working partnerships. His key link is claire redfield, whom he joins at the police station and follows through the tunnels. He also works alongside chris redfield and jill valentine in the group that escapes, and he shares the closing escape with Sherry, the young daughter of William Birkin.

His other relationships are with the people who threaten him. Chief Irons is a figure of authority who does not survive the night, and Birkin is the monster Leon eventually has to stop. albert wesker and ada wong appear in both runs: Wesker holds the fortified White House base the survivors reach in Retribution, and Ada is played by Li Bingbing in 2012 and Lily Gao in 2021.

In Retribution his bond with Alice is the rescue itself. He is the man sent to bring her out.

In my opinion, the rocket launcher shot is Leon's best moment on screen, because it pays off a whole film of him being the least experienced person in the room. It is the one point in Welcome to Raccoon City where the rookie ends a fight rather than just surviving it, and it suits a creature that began as a man.

The second pick is the Retribution rescue run. It could be argued that the film wastes him, since the simulated cities are the real attraction, but his team gives Alice a rare chance to fight beside people who came for her. Perhaps the knockout at the hands of the cloned Rain is the weakest beat, as it takes him out before the White House.

The third is the first shift in 1998, where Leon notices odd symptoms in the town. It is a modest scene, though it sets him up as someone who pays attention, and that fits a character still learning the job.