Fact Check: Will Deckard be there in Blade Runner 2099? Explained

Blade Runner 2099 is an upcoming series on Amazon Prime Video and the latest installment in the Blade Runner saga. The upcoming miniseries will serve as a direct sequel to the 2019 film, Blade Runner 2049.

Ridley Scott directed the first movie in the franchise, Blade Runner, in 1982. The film prompted a sequel titled Blade Runner 2049, which is directed by Denis Villeneuve. One of the major characters throughout the series is Rick Deckard (portrayed by Harrison Ford). The character of Rick Deckard is a police officer, who kick-started the Blade Runner franchise. Harrison Ford's character was the lead in the first film and featured prominently in Blade Runner 2049.

However, Rick Deckard will not be present in the upcoming Blade Runner 2099. This is because Blade Runner 2099 will take place half a century ahead of the events of its predecessor, making it improbable for Rick Deckard to still be alive.

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Rick Deckard's absence from Blade Runner 2099 explained

Rick Deckard was a key character in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. Deckard plays a "blade runner" who develops empathy toward the bio-engineered humanoid "replicants," he has to hunt. He plays a prominent part in the second film, Blade Runner 2049, as the plot intertwined with that of his estranged replicant daughter.

Blade Runner 2099 is taking the plot forward by half a century, which makes it difficult to incorporate Rick Deckard's character in the story.

The previous film already shifted the focus from Rick Deckard towards K (Ryan Gosling) and Joi (Ana De Armas). Although Ford's Deckard was still a central part of the plotline, the upcoming series will build up more on the political climate of Blade Runner 2049 than Deckard and his estranged daughter Dr. Ana Stelline (Carla Juri).

There is no evidence that aging has been halted in the futuristic world of Blade Runner. Thus Rick Deckard is unlikely to be alive by the events of Blade Runner 2099. While the series has continued the plotlines from the previous films, there have been no obvious hints that Deckard would remain a part of the plot.

The film has already announced cast members such as Michelle Yeoh, Hunter Schafer, and Amy Lennox among others. Harrison Ford's appearance in the television role has not yet been announced, indicating Deckard's absence from the plot.

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Who has been cast in Blade Runner 2099?

Michelle Yeoh has been cast in a leading role in the upcoming series (image via Getty)

The Amazon Prime Video series has announced a few of the cast members for the upcoming series. Blade Runner 2099 is currently under production in Prague and the plot is under wraps. While other cast members' roles have not been revealed, Academy Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh will take the lead playing the role of a character named Olwen.

Euphoria star Hunter Schafer is another leading member of the cast for the upcoming series. As per reports, Prime Video has announced other members of the cast:

• Dimitri Abold (known for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes)
• Lewis Gribben (known for Somewhere Boy)
• Katelyn Rose Downey (known for The Nun II)
• Daniel Rigby (Renegade Nell)
• Johnny Harris (A Gentleman In Moscow)
• Amy Lennox (Only Child)
• Matthew Needham (known for House of the Dragon)
• Sheila Atim (known for The Woman King)

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Stay tuned for more news and updates about Blade Runner 2099 in this space.