The original Blade Runner has continued to be a popular topic of discussion among movie fans for decades for one reason, and it's the same reason those fans are excited about the forthcoming sequel. Will we finally get an answer to the question of Rick Deckard's humanity? The newest trailer for Blade Runner 2049 would seem to indicate that Harrison Ford's Deckard might actually be the replicant that many have long believed him to be. Check out the trailer and judge for yourself.
The new trailer shows us Ryan Gosling's replicant hunter character looking for somebody who can help him with a case, that person turns out to be the character of Rick Deckard played by Harrison Ford. at one point he tells Gosling, "we were being hunted." Is the "we" in this case replicants? It's certainly possible, even likely. Replicants were certainly being hunted in the original Blade Runner and based on the trailer's opening scene with Dave Bautista, still are. What other group is Rick Deckard a part of who would be hunted by anybody? Certainly not Blade Runners, as Ryan Gosling certainly appears to be playing one, so they're not being hunted.
To be fair, this single line is entirely out of context so there's no way to be sure exactly what Rick Deckard is talking about. There are certainly other things it could be. But none are more plausible. There's also a follow-up line at the end of the trailer where a voice over line references the future of the species, with Harrison Ford's image on the screen. It's possible this all means something else, but it would seem the trailer wants us to draw the conclusion that we're drawing.
While the original theatrical cut of Blade Runner never really raised questions as to whether or not Harrison Ford was playing a replicant, several subsequent versions of the film which added back in cut footage began to raise the question. While no version of the movie definitively says that Deckard is a replicant. Ridley Scott, who directed the original film and is producing the sequel has made comments in the past that would seemingly confirm Deckard's non-humanity.
The new movie has gone back and forth when answering questions about the big question. At times it was stated that the sequel would answer the question one way or the other, other times the filmmakers have said it won't be addressed. At this point, we certainly can't say for certain that this line isn't referring to what we think it is.
We'll likely have to wait for Blade Runner 2049 to hit theaters to know for sure. Luckily, we don't have to wait too long for that. The film hits theaters October 6.
