The first trailer for ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ has arrived, and with it has come with a host of new questions about the world featured in the trailer, and what has become of the characters we know in the 20 years since the first alien invasion. Fortunately, the filmmakers have provided us with a viral marketing site, known as The War of 1996, which goes into detail about the major world events leading up to the new movie. Here’s a breakdown of the timeline:

  • By November of 1997, the world had begun to rebuild. The alien invaders had been neutralized, with the exception of “a small pocket of resistance in an isolated area of the African Congo”
  • 3-17-1998: the leaders of the world’s major nations united, putting aside decades-old rivalries in the wake of the invasion
  • 5-25-1998: the United States creates the Earth Space Defense program (ESD) as an extraterrestrial early warning system and global defense initiative. David Levinson (Goldblum) is named as director
  • 1-8-1999: the ESD adapts alien shield technology to the F-22 Raptor, moving towards the creation of full Hybrid Fighters
  • 6-22-2000: the city of Las Vegas, NV was completely destroyed in the war, and its ruins remain untouched as a reminder of all that was lost
  • 8-10-2001: an isolated group of aliens in the African Congo — survivors of a downed City Destroyed — continue an underground war. The Congolese government continually refuses aid
  • 10-23-2003: the U.S. Army fully adopts recovered alien weaponry for military application, quelling controversy with impressive displays of the weapons’ effectiveness
  • 4-27-2007: Col. Steven Hiller (Will Smith) dies during a test flight of the ESD’s first functional Hybrid Fighter, and the world mourns the passing of one of the War of ’96’s heroes
  • 2-21-2009: the Earth Space Defense Moonbase opens and is monitored from Beijing, China. The base has both offensive and defensive systems and is the first of several planned planetary bases
  • 6-4-2011: ESD Director Levinson highlights the advances in consumer technology inspired by alien tech, including “the touchscreen smartphone, bladeless fans, drones, and airport security scanners”
  • 8-19-2014: the next generation of Hybrid Fighter is unveiled — the T4 Global Defender, the most advanced alien-tech hybrid vehicle yet

So now we know what happened to Will Smith’s character as well,  as Colonel Hiller was killed during a test flight, a somewhat ignoble death for such a major character, but maybe one whose ramifications will hopefully play into the plot of the new movie. Also of note, is the recurring issue going on down in the Congo, perhaps implying that there are aliens are working with human beings to plan the next assault on Earth, a chilling idea at that. Either way, it is hard not to appreciate the world-building going on with this, which is good because ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ is going to need all the help it can get to be able to stand next to the other major movies coming out in 2016, including ‘Captain America: Civil War’ and ‘Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.’

What are your thoughts on the return of the ‘Independence Day’ world? Do you think the supplied details of Will Smith’s character’s death make sense? Or does it seem like a cop out? Share your opinions below!

Source: Screen Rant