‘LEONNNNN!’
It was two long years agothat we first wrote about the rumorthat Capcom had begun development on a remake of one of its most iconic and beloved releases,Resident Evil 4. On Thursday, we finally got the good word, as Sony’s State of Play presentation gave usthe first official unveilingof the survival horror classic’s return. We got to see some new and familiar places, along with some familiar faces.
Very shortly after the teaser trailer’s premiere, model Ella Freyatook to social mediato excitedly identify herself as the face model for spritely damsel-in-distress, Ashley Graham. Writing on her Twitter, the Dutch native spoke of her incredible pride and excitement in becoming part of theResident Evilfamily, noting that she cried with shock and joy when the trailer finally premiered. Freya works as a model on Instagram andPatreon, and is seemingly freelance, so kudos for bagging such a major-league gig.
Freya steps into the knotted sweater of Ms. Graham, daughter of the U.S. President who vanishes into the grim undergrowth of a dilapidated Spanish village. The Secret Service deploys government agent, (andResident Evil 2protagonist), Leon S. Kennedy to locate and recover Ashley, beginning what turns out to be a terrifying adventure filled with helpful dogs, ghostly jetskis, and belly-to-belly suplexes.
Ashley Graham has a tongue-in-cheek place in the hearts ofResifans, renowned for her goofily incompetent nature and insistence on getting into trouble and then screaming for help. I’m in no doubt whatsoever thatResident Evil 4 Remakewill likely redress Graham’s personality, hopefully offering her a little more agency and action, rather than confining her to the ladder-dropping tagalong role she is remembered for.
Either way, congrats to Freya for becoming part ofResident Evilhistory. Watch out for those monks.
Resident Evil 4 Remakelaunches August 05, 2025 on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X.
