10 Borderlands Movie Predictions From Reddit

Gamers around the globe rejoiced when news broke that they would finally get to see their favorite Borderlands characters on the big screen. Since then, news has continued to trickle out of production, setting fans’ minds ablaze with theories about what to expect when the Vault Hunters finally arrive.

Casting announcements such as Cate Blanchett as Lillith, Kevin Hart as Roland, and Jack Black as CL4PTRAP have fanned the flames, but many gamers are still desperate to find out what the plot will be about, with many Redditors getting together to discuss the most tantalizing theories.

It Will Be The Story of Roland… Junior

Since some fans complained that Kevin Hart’s physique didn’t quite match with Roland’s more physical design from the Borderlands video games, Redditor Tels315 wondering if there’s a reveal with this casting hiding in plain sight. He posts “Kevin Hart playing the son of Roland and Lilith would make a lot more sense. Especially if it’s the story of Roland Jr. traveling the universe.”

The biggest problem with this theory is that Kevin Hart is not young. For those who may not realize it, Kevin Hart is 42 while Cate Blanchett is 52. Blanchett has been in the public eye much longer than Hart, so it may be easy to make the same mistake Tel315 did, but it makes no sense for her to be his mother. To give them a bit of credit, it is quite a creative theory.

It Won’t Be In The Same Universe

Borderlands is beloved in no small part due to its completely absurd world packed with rich lore and a majorly messed up history. Reddit user tangential_quip is worried that this will be completely lost in the movie adaptation of the franchise, writing “it isn’t going to make any sense in the existing Borderlands universe.”

It turns out that this user was right, with Randy Pitchford later confirming on Twitter that the movie exists in its own “Borderlands Cinematic Universe (or BCU).” It’s not a particularly surprising revelation, but one that is disappointing for fans hoping the movie would expand on the franchise’s already established continuity.

Handsome Jack Has To Be Included

If the best Batman movies need to include the Joker, then the best version of the Borderlands movie needs to include Handsome Jack. Redditor Put_It_All_On_Blck summarized this perfectly when he commented “what idiot would write a screenplay for Borderlands and not make Handsome Jack the main antagonist.”

Handsome Jack is, undoubtedly, the most popular character the series has produced. It’s very difficult to craft characters that have his staying power. The Calypso Twins of Borderlands 3 did their best to fill his big shoes but, unsurprisingly, could not live up to the incredibly high precedent set by Handsome Jack. The movie will have to contend with this same harsh reality.

Rhys Will Be A Major Character

The upcoming movie may be the first live-action take on Pandora, but it isn’t the series first foray into a deeper form of narrative storytelling. Tales from the Borderlands, created by Telltale Games (under license from Gearbox), was a massive hit with fans that perfectly captured the unique tone of the Borderlands universe and provided some of it funniest quotes.  Now, some are convinced that the Borderlands movie is set to feature one of Tales main characters.

Redditor Snoo-30865 writes “the story could be to do with Lilith meeting Rhys, as a new and rising CEO of the newly re-founded Atlas Corporation.” Given his unique character design and knack for dry-witted humor, Rhys would be a logical inclusion for this series as it looks to bring the Borderlands flavor to this new medium. If Handsome Jack is indeed absent from the film, Rhys’ ties to the powerful corporate entities of the series could even lead to him taking a more villainous role in the movie

This Will Be Kevin Hart’s First Serious Role

The Borderlands movie has several intriguing casting choices, but none of them is quite as head-scratching as Kevin Hart’s upcoming role as Roland. There’s no doubt that Hart is incredibly talented, but many are worried about selecting him to play a character known in the series for being more stoic than comedic.

However, Reddit user coffeefan1804 isn’t worried and says “(Kevin Hart) certainly makes it sound like this could be his first truly serious role.” Perhaps he is correct and Hart is trying to break into a more dramatic phase of his career, similar to the direction of Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems. While Borderlands seems like an unusual place for Hart to make that turn, his excitement towards the project gives a lot of credence to the theory.

Roland Will Be A Badass, But A Short Badass

Standing in at only 5’2,” it’s no secret that Kevin Hart is not the tallest person. His willingness to do movies alongside The Rock has certainly not done much to help with that reputation. Unfortunately, in a series known for wisecracks like Borderlands, it’s probably safe to expect several jokes about him being shorter than his co-stars Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis.

On the other hand, a [deleted] Reddit user points out “wouldn’t be right to have an entire movie of short jokes when Roland’s a badass.” If Kevin Hart is bringing the same hardened persona and attitude of the Roland fans already know, then hopefully the actor’s height will be recognized, briefly joked about, and quickly forgotten.

The Movie Is Actually Jumanji 3

Borderlands will mark the third team-up of Jack Black and Kevin Hart. The actors first appeared together in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and then again in Jumani: The Next Level. Therefore, it isn’t surprising that Redditor N1ghtshade3 is ready for the rug pull, remarking “I’m waiting for them to reveal that the full title of the movie is actually Jumanji 3: Escape from the Borderlands.”

Admittedly, this theory is a bit of a stretch yet hilarious to think about. If this were revealed to be true, it would certainly cause complete and utter hysteria among the fan base. Not only would it be a disastrous choice for the movie, but it would also likely derail the entire franchise.

There Will Be Plenty of Meta Game References

Borderlands is not a complicated game. Shoot things, collect gear, complete objectives, rinse, and repeat. Even the best video game movie adaptation is likely to have some cheesy nods to the source material, and Reddit user Desproges is ready to see what that will look like on Pandora. Their theory; “Every time, they grab a gun, they spend five minutes reading the stats out loud. They find a gun every five minutes.”

While there are almost certainly going to be winks to gamers included in the movie’s final cut, let’s hope they’re not this self-indulgent. For the big screen, Borderlands will probably be best off sticking to the shooting and forgetting about the looting.

The Movie Will Be Heavily Influenced By Guardians of the Galaxy

2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy captured lightning in a bottle when it was released and still stands as one of the best solo MCU projects to date. It captures the epic sci-fi action of Star Wars and pairs it with perfect comedic timing as well as one of the greatest movie soundtracks ever crafted.

Redditor Aesorian is hoping for that with some added Pandora flavor. They remark “a Borderlands movie could work really well; just make it like a post Apocalyptic Guardians of the Galaxy and you’ve got a solid starting point.” Few are as optimistic as this user, but it’s easy to see how a Borderlands movie could match that Guardians feel with an added Mad Max twist.

It’s Not Going To Be Very Good

Unfortunately, this is currently the prevailing theory among  Borderlands fans. Redditor Kuhaku-boss summarized the feeling better than anybody else when he commented “This movie going to be worse than dragon ball or street fighter live-action.”

The main reason fans are concerned is the track record of video game movies in general. Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City and Monster Hunter were both recent critical disappointments, and didn’t leave much hope for any change on the horizon of the video game movie landscape. Let’s hope that Uncharted and Borderlands do something to change that.

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