‘Blade Runner 2049’ Prequel Short Reveals Jared Leto’s Replicant Agenda

One of the more intriguing new characters in Blade Runner 2049 is Niander Wallace, played by professional cringe-inducer Jared Leto. Though the exact nature of his role — beyond “vaguely unnerving dude who makes Replicants” — remains to be seen, Niander appears to be a key figure in Denis Villeneuve’s highly-anticipated sequel. He’s also the subject of this new short film, which takes place in 2036 and is the first of three prequels that will help shed some light on the events that occurred over the 30 years between films.

Collider debuted the short, which takes us back to 2036, when Niander attended an important (and seemingly clandestine) meeting to debate the role his Replicants — or “angels” — will play in humanity’s precarious future. The short also features Doctor Strange star Benedict Wong, who doesn’t appear to actually have a role in Blade Runner 2049. It’s unclear exactly who he’s playing in this scene, which quickly escalates to a violent end worthy of Westworld.

As Villeneuve explains in the intro, this is the first of three prequel shorts that will connect Ridley Scott’s sci-fi classic with the new sequel. Luke Scott, son of Ridley and director of last year’s sci-fi thriller Morgan, helmed the first short.

Blade Runner 2049 stars Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Dave Bautista and Ana de Armas, and hits theaters on October 6.