Borderlands is pulling elements from across the videogame series that inspired it, but doesn’t seem to include two of the game’s original heroes. While many elements of the film’s visual aesthetic feels in line with the Borderlands videogame, the film features numerous characters from across the series who initially were less connected to one another. While this does open up a lot of possible new directions for the film to take those fan-favorite characters, it does mean that some long-running fixtures of the series have been left by the wayside.
While this could end up benefiting the characters in the long run if they get the chance to appear in different capacities of the film, it’s still surprising to see them missing from the video game adaptation’s roster of gun-toting Vault Hunters. However, their absences could be because of any number of reasons, even serving as influences for some of the characters who are confirmed for Borderlands. It could also hint at doors being left open for them to appear more prominently in other potential entries in a potentially burgeoning cinematic universe that could spin out of Eli Roth’s Borderlands.
What Planet Borderlands Takes Place On: Video Game History Explained
The trailer for the Borderlands movie showcases many of the beloved characters from the games. However, the central planet is equally as important.
Borderlands’ Brick & Mordecai, Explained
Brick and Mordecai were two of the stars of Borderlands, but don’t appear in the trailer for the film adaptation — suggesting their roles have either been severely reduced or cut entirely. In the original Borderlands, players were given the option to pick between four playable characters. Cate Blanchette’s Lilith and Kevin Hart’s Roland were two of them, and seem to be the main characters in the movie. The other two playable characters were Brick and Mordecai. Brick was a boisterous brawler and the game’s resident tank, proving extremely capable with shotguns and explosives.
By contrast, Mordecai was a detached long-range sniper, focusing on rifles and using his alien bird Bloodwing in combat. While neither of them is as important to the overarching Borderlands story as Lilith or Roland, Brick and Mordecai remain crucial side characters in many subsequent entries in the series. They were consistent allies of Lilith and Roland going into other games, and encountered the unrelated heroes of Tales From the Borderlands. However, the pair are not featured in the trailer for Borderlands, and haven’t been confirmed to even appear in the film.
Why Aren’t Brick & Mordecai In Borderlands?
Borderlands is an adaptation of the game series of the same name. This allows it to take cues from different entries in the series and pull unlikely characters together. This is the likeliest reason that Mordecai and Brick aren’t in the Borderlands film. Although Lilith, Roland, and Claptrap were major characters in the first game, Dr. Tannis was only a minor character in that one, while Borderlands fan favorites Tiny Tina and Krieg weren’t introduced until Borderlands 2. To make room for those roles to receive adequate characterization, it makes sense others would need to be cut.
With that in mind, Brick and Mordecai make more sense to cut than Lilith or Roland. Brick’s role as the team’s brawler seems to have been filled by Krieg. That character’s potential protective nature over Tina could take inspiration from Brick’s relationship with her in the game, where he befriended her and became a steadfast ally. Mordecai’s cold and sarcastic attitude likewise seems to have been incorporated into other members of the cast like Lilith, who the trailer hints will be a more taciturn and harsh character than she was in the original game.
How Brick & Mordecai Could Still Factor Into Borderlands’ Cinematic Universe
Although Brick and Mordecai don’t seem to be in the trailer for Borderlands, there are still some ways they could factor into the film. The pair could have been reduced to minor characters in contrast to Lilith and Roland, making their appearances in the trailer less likely. They could simply be unrelated Vault Hunters who come across the film’s central characters at some point. Their appearances could serve as easter eggs for eagle-eyed fans, suggesting they still exist on the film’s version of Pandora even if they aren’t central to the movie itself.
There’s also the chance that Mordecai and Brick are being saved for a potential follow-up. If Borderlands receives a sequel, the two could easily appear as defenders of Sanctuary, Roland’s base of operations in Borderlands 2. Going this route could allow the first Borderlands to fully establish a larger cast of fan-favorite characters while leaving room for Mordecai and Brick to become more important later. While it’s surprising that Brick and Mordecai don’t seem to be in Borderlands, fans of the characters can hold out hope that they’ll appear in some form in the game’s cinematic universe.
Borderlands
- Director
- Eli Roth
- Release Date
- August 9, 2024
- Studio(s)
- Arad Productions , Picturestart
- Distributor(s)
- Lionsgate
- Writers
- Eli Roth , Joe Crombie
- Cast
- Cate Blanchett , Kevin Hart , Jack Black , Ariana Greenblatt , Florian Munteanu , Jamie Lee Curtis , Edgar Ramirez , Gina Gershon
