Borderlands got one important thing right – but you probably didn’t notice

The Borderlands movie has changed a lot from the original games, yet with such a stellar cast we don’t blame you for not noticing. But doesn’t everyone feel a little bit… older?

I will talk about Cate Blanchett until I’m blue in the face at any given opportunity. In fact, my colleagues probably saw that I wanted to write this piece and quietly sighed to themselves, wondering when I’d shut up about our self-proclaimed lesbian God. The answer is never, and she is perfect in everything she does.

Blanchett undoubtedly kicks ass in Borderlands. According to Eli Roth, she does all her own stunts, she’s effortlessly funny, and God, does she make gunslinging look sexy. Yet there’s some bubbling nuance under her cool exterior – Blanchett’s character, Lilith, is 22 years old when she’s introduced in the first game. Of course, the 55-year-old actress is anything but. 

It’s not just Blanchett, though. With the exception of Ariana Greenblatt’s Tiny Tina, the entire cast has been aged up from their video game counterparts. The result is a team of unwilling heroes, almost all over the age of 45, who absolutely crush the action movie genre. The downside? Borderlands fans are calling each other out for spreading hate on social media. 

It’s time to get a step back before getting riled up like this, buying a movie ticket, and putting the world to rights while watching this new movie. Aging up its cast is one of the smartest decisions Roth could have made creatively, and we’re going to reap the benefits in a multitude of ways. 

Older superheroes are cool, dammit 

Lionsgate

Let’s start with the obvious reason first. The Borderlands cast is swimming in a sea of awards season accolades. Regardless of whether you think they deserve them (sorry, Jamie Lee Curtis), every member of the cast has spent years honing their craft and proving themselves in the industry – and frankly, it’s really cool to see them have fun with a silly little adventure story. 

We’ve got a cast at the top of their game, coming off the back of award-winning movies even if they weren’t directly nominated themselves. The fact that Roth has managed to get them on board is no mean feat, either. In what universe was Ariana Greenblatt ever agreeing to be hit with a faceful of fake piss? It feels like it shouldn’t have happened, but he pulled it off.

Now let’s address the elephant in the room… with exceptions including a few British stalwarts in the X-Men timeline and Robert Downey Jr’s insane return to the MCU, older superheroes are less common than we’d like. Despite actresses like Viola Davis and Carrie-Anne Moss putting in unforgettable action performances themselves, an older female lead in the genre is unsurprisingly more scarce. 

It’s about damn time things changed – and the fact a video game adaptation is leading the way sets its fans and the industry straight for good… or, at least it could.  

With age comes wisdom, experience, and the art of not giving a f**k. Proper commitment to diversity and inclusion means everyone has a seat at the table – and yes, that means seeing 50 and 60-year-olds trying to find a fictional vault in the pursuit of long-lost treasure. 

Blanchett and co have paid their dues and deserve to be paid for having a bit of a laugh. Absolutely nobody is taking this movie seriously, and that’s what makes it better. It’s a breath of fresh air for a female 55-year-old superhero to be the lead and have the majority of audiences not care.

No one is trying to be anything they aren’t either, so don’t expect cringey Gen Z jokes where Kevin Hart tries to twerk for someone’s TikTok challenge (Claptrap excluded).

You wouldn’t think people need to be reminded that they can do whatever at any age, but they do. While it’s healthy and necessary for kids and teens to see older heroes in action, the parents dragged along for the ride will perhaps have a renewed sense of energy themselves.

Literally, everyone is a winner with age equality… and if you can have more Blanchett, you should always take it.

Borderlands is in cinemas now. Find out more about Borderlands 3 shift codes and everything we know about Borderlands 4. Also, stay updated on Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 and new movies streaming.