What would a Borderlands story be without the series’ greatest villain? Without Handsome Jack, the upcoming Borderlands movie might turn out to be a bigger disappointment than the Willy Wonka Experience disaster. Well … almost as big.
First things first … who is Handsome Jack?
For those uninitiated into the gun-crazed sci-fi murder fest that is Borderlands, Handsome Jack is the series’ archvillain. The action of the series takes place on the lawless border planet Pandora, and no, not the one from the Avatar films. Pandora is home to dangerous flora and fauna AND fabulous treasures.
Most of those treasures are guns … but there is tell of a secret Vault where fantastical alien technology is hidden! The plot of the original Borderlands game involves an intrepid group of trigger-happy adventurers attempting to find this Vault. They are successful but are dismayed to discover that the only thing inside the Vault is a sealed-away eldritch horror from beyond the stars. Bummer. Luckily, the protagonists of Borderlands defeat the monster, discovering that the greatest treasure was the enemies they murdered along the way.
Five years later, the planet of Pandora has been overtaken by the Hyperion Corporation. The leader of Hyperion is a narcissistic psychopath who calls himself Handsome Jack. After hearing that Pandora possesses more than one Vault, Jack claims the planet, declaring himself its dictator and taking credit for defeating the monster that dwelled in the first Vault. Jack’s new target is the Vault of the Warrior, said to house a super weapon created by an ancient alien race.
After narrowly escaping a train booby-trapped by Handsome Jack, the four protagonists of Borderlands 2 are contacted by a mysterious woman named Guardian Angel, who tasks them with killing Jack to restore peace to Pandora. Considering the journey will reward the gang with guns and glory, they’re happy to oblige.
Will Jack be in the Borderlands movie?
As of now, Handsome Jack has not been confirmed to appear in the Borderlands movie. After all, the first Borderlands film is attempting to dramatize the events of the first game, where Handsome Jack does not appear. However, should the film be a success, Handsome Jack is guaranteed to be in the sequel. It simply wouldn’t be Borderlands without him. In fact, the upcoming Borderlands film will likely feature Easter eggs teasing Handsome Jack’s arrival. It’s also possible that the Dictator of Hyperion could appear in a cheeky post-credits sequence. On the planet of Pandora, you really never know.
(featured image: 2K/Telltale Games)
