Why Dave From Resident Evil Looks So Familiar

Zach Cregger has quickly assorted himself as a modern expert in horror. His first two movies in the genre, "Barbarian" and "Weapons," became instant classics. Now, though, he's proving that he can work with a pre-established franchise with "Resident Evil," with /Film's review describing the movie as a "lean, mean, gross-out machine" based on the video games from Capcom.

The movie follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in a race for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos in Raccoon City. Abrams previously collaborated with Cregger on "Weapons" prior to "Resident Evil," in addition to starring in other projects. And while the film very much rests on his shoulders, he's not the only actor mixing it up with the undead.

To be sure, Cregger wisely cast great performers in the other, smaller roles around Abrams, among them Paul Walter Hauser ("The Fantastic Four: First Steps"). Yet, later on in the film, a scientist by the name of Dave shows up as well, and he is absolutely crucial to the movie's plot. In fact, without diving into spoilers, we can fairly say it's a small part, yet it's ultimately one of great consequence to the story at hand. And just like Bryan, Dave ought to ring a bell for certain filmgoers.

There's a good reason for that, too, as Dave is played by none other than Zach Cherry. Quite the reliable character actor and comedian, Cherry has increasingly become a familiar face in Hollywood thanks to his roles in various movies and TV shows (including, most notably, Apple TV's "Severance"). That makes "Resident Evil" merely the latest impressive credit to add to his ever-growing resume as an actor. 

Zach Cherry got his start as an actor in the early 2010s via small roles on TV shows like "Broad City," "High Maintenance," and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." These were largely relegated to one-off appearances for several years. Then, beginning in 2016, he got his first few recurring roles on series like "Business Work" and "Search Party." From there, he nabbed bit-parts in movies such as 2017's "Spider-Man: Homecoming" — where he plays Klev, a street vendor — and "The Big Sick."

Not to jump ahead, but Cherry's time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe wasn't limited to a single cameo. He later appeared in 2021's "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" as Klev once more, and he's since reprised the role yet again in the animated series "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" (which debuted on Disney+ in early 2025).

In terms of his most recognizable roles, a great many viewers will probably know Cherry best from his work on "Severance" as Dylan. Not only that, Cherry's "Severance" audition was actually good enough to get the show's creators to change Dylan as a character. And "Resident Evil" isn't the only video game adaptation on Cherry's CV, either, as he's played a memorable role as Woody on Prime Video's "Fallout" TV show.

Additionally, Cherry played Ethan in "You," a show Netflix saved from being canceled and turned into a big hit. On the movie side of things, he's recently appeared in the slasher "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma," along with the comedy "The Breadwinner." Beyond that, his other roles of note include those in "Duncanville," "Most Dangerous Game," "Our Cartoon President," and "Living With Yourself."

"Resident Evil" is in theaters now.