After wowing audiences with the incredible one-two punch of “Barbarian” and the Oscar-winning “Weapons,” Zach Cregger decided to go with something a bit different for his latest film and deliver a video game adaptation. “Resident Evil” is not a direct adaptation of any of the games from the iconic horror franchise, but it understands the true appeal of the best games in the series, embracing its iconography while doing something new with it.
The film is set during the events of “Resident Evil 2” while moving the timeline to the modern era. It follows Austin Abrams’ Bryan, a medical courier trapped in Raccoon City in the middle of a viral outbreak that turns people into bloodthirsty monsters. Though Abrams carries much of the story on his shoulders, the film does have a supporting cast of characters, including Carl, who works with the Umbrella corporation.
If you saw “Resident Evil” and kept wondering why Carl looked so familiar, that’s because he’s played by Golden Globe and Emmy winner Paul Walter Hauser, best known for his roles in “I, Tonya,” “Cobra Kai,” “Black Bird” and “Fantastic Four.” Or, in the case of true sickos, Paul Walter Hauser is known for being quite the decent indie wrestler with a penchant for bloody and thrilling matches.
Paul Walter Hauser has been delighting audiences for 20 years
Paul Walter Hauser got his start back in 2005, voicing various roles in “Too Late with Adam Carolla.” He worked steadily on TV, with roles in “Community,” “Key & Peele,” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” It wasn’t until 2017 with “I, Tonya,” however, that Hauser finally got mainstream recognition for his dramatic and comedic skills. Since then, the actor has had memorable supporting roles in movies from acclaimed auteurs, appearing in Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman,” and starring in Clint Eastwood’s “Richard Jewell.” He had a hilarious role in “The Naked Gun,” was in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” and became an essential part of “Cobra Kai.”
Hauser, in addition to being a great comedic actor and a very capable dramatic performer, is also an indie professional wrestler. His Emmy acceptance speech was essentially a wrestling promo, calling out two legends for a match. Though we’ve seen many wrestlers become actors, and plenty of celebrities doing a wrestling sting for publicity or just fun, Hauser is not just dedicated to the world of wrestling but is quite compelling in the ring. He won the PROGRESS Proteus Title in 2025 and wore the belt to the premiere of “Fantastic Four.” His match against QT Marshall at Ring of Honor’s “Death Before Dishonor” was violent and gnarly, worthy of a former Cobra Kai student. This is to say, Hauser needs to do more wrestling, because the guy is hugely entertaining to watch.
After “Resident Evil,” Hauser is set to appear in Netflix’s “Scooby-Doo: Origins” TV series as a previous owner of the titular Great Dane.
