Image credit: Capcom Back in 1994, Luc Besson released a movie that not only introduced us to Natalie Portman in her feature film debut, but also - it turns out - inspired the name for one of gaming's most iconic characters: Leon Kennedy. That film was Léon: The Professional, and saw actor Jean Reno in the titular role of a milk-loving hitman who takes 12 year old Mathilda (played by Portman) under his wing. Many had surmised that this film inspired Leon's name in the Resi series, but now we know for sure, as Resident Evil 2 director Hideki Kamiya recently shared a little bit of game lore on his social media. Resident Evil Requiem - Official Leon Gameplay Reveal Trailer. Watch on YouTube Kamiya reflected back to when he and Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami were discussing what to call Capcom's then-Raccoon City newcomer. Here's the brief full story: "Back when we were developing the game, I'd asked Mr Mikami for his opinion on the protagonist's name.…