Universal Soldier (franchise)
| Universal Soldier | |
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Luc Deveraux, the main character of the Universal Soldier series
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| Films and television | |
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| Video game(s) | Universal Soldier (1992) |
The Universal Soldier series is a series of science fiction action films. The series began in 1992 with Universal Soldier and as of 2012 comprises six entries, though only three are considered to be canon. The films centered on the character of Luc Deveraux (played first by Jean-Claude Van Damme and then by Matt Battaglia) until Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, which focuses on a new protagonist named John (played by Scott Adkins).
The series centers on the characters Luc Deveraux and Andrew Scott. Deveraux, portrayed by Jean-Claude Van Damme in the original films and Matt Battaglia in the TV sequels, is an American soldier killed in the Vietnam War and reanimated in the 1990s as a highly advanced Universal Soldier, or "UniSol" for short. Andrew Scott, portrayed by Dolph Lundgren, is a fellow soldier who suffers a psychotic break before being killed and is reanimated as Deveraux's sadistic nemesis for the majority of the series.
After Universal Soldier was released, Carolco, the production company that backed the film, went bankrupt. In 1995, Carolco sold the rights of the series to Skyvision Entertainment in Toronto. Two TV films, Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms and Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business, were released direct-to-video, starring Matt Battaglia as Luc Deveraux and Jeff Wincott as his brother Eric Deveraux. They were produced for Showtime / The Movie Channel as a miniseries meant as a backdoor pilot for a series. Having almost no input whatsoever from the original filmmakers, their canonical status is questionable.
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