Raleigh Becket in Pacific Rim 2: A Case of Missing Man-Mountain (and Maybe Cancer?)
Ah, Raleigh Becket. The drift-compatible dreamboat, the elbow-grease extraordinaire, the guy who punched a Kaiju in the face and lived to tell the tale (well, in the first movie). But in Pacific Rim: Uprising, he's about as present as a Jaeger in a retirement home shuffleboard tournament. So, what the kaiju-sized heck happened?
Theories Wilder Than a Pre-Drift Haywire:
- Dramatically Disintegrated? Some whispers suggested Raleigh went full-on kamikaze in a glorious, off-screen Kaiju takedown. But hey, if that were true, wouldn't they, you know, mention it? Like, at all?
- Radiation Ravaged? The Kaiju-verse ain't exactly a health spa. Maybe all that time spent elbow-deep in alien goo gave Raleigh a nasty case of the glows (and not in a good way). This theory gets some traction from the prequel novel, but the movie itself stays mum.
The Somewhat Plausible, But Still Unsatisfying Truth:
Nope, no epic last stand, no toxic souvenir. The movie offers a single, throwaway line from our new hero, Jake Pentecost (son of Stacker, so basically Jaeger royalty). He mentions Raleigh alongside other heroes in a "we-lost-some-good-folks" kind of way. Intriguing, but leaves us with more questions than a Jaeger pilot after a particularly messy fight.
So, Did Raleigh Kick the Bucket or Just Chill Out in Drift-Retirement?
Here's where things get interesting. There's a new animated series, Pacific Rim: The Black, that throws a wrench into the whole "dead or alive" thing. A character file pops up that mentions Raleigh... retired. Now, this could be a continuity error of epic proportions, or maybe there's more to the story than Uprising lets on.
The Verdict: We Just Don't Know (But Here's Hoping!)
Until the powers that be decide to spill the beans, Raleigh's fate remains a mystery. Did he become a Jaeger mechanic with a killer wrench collection? Did he open a Drift-Compatible Dating app? The possibilities are endless!
FAQ: Your Burning Raleigh Becket Questions Answered (Briefly)
- How to Drift Like Raleigh? Sorry, buddy, that ain't something you can just learn. You gotta be born with the right neural handshake.
- How to Survive a Kaiju Punch? Mostly luck, a good Jaeger, and maybe a strategically placed wedgie (hey, it's worth a shot, right?)
- How to Get Over Raleigh's Absence in Uprising? Focus on the cool new Jaegers, giant robot battles are always a good distraction.
- How to Lobby for Raleigh's Return in Pacific Rim 3? Start a petition, write angry letters to Hollywood, maybe wear a giant inflatable Jaeger head to movie premieres. Every little bit helps!
- How to Deal with the Emotional Rollercoaster of Not Knowing? Distract yourself with other awesome sci-fi movies! There's a whole multiverse out there, gotta keep your eyes on the prize (and by prize, we mean giant robots punching giant monsters).
