I heard a lot of speculation a while back, suggesting that Chris will die. I doubt it. I say that he will live, because I don't think this game is special enough to warrant the death of the very guy who was there fighting biohazards since the start. Also, I think they are just hurrying the games up to reach ten quickly. Ten, as in how they are numbered. Technically, this is not the 8th game because of Code: Veronica.
But anyway, I think they are just putting Chris in as a hook, because if they add in a main character, that's what gets people to buy the games, since people are invested in their arc. It doesn't dictate the quality of the game, although it does look like this will be a massive improvement.
To me, Ethan isn't that interesting of a character. Unless they find a way to build him into one, but he was as dull as dishwater in 7: Biohazard. If he was never to return to the series at all, I doubt people would even miss having him around. He is certainly no Leon S. Kennedy, who now seems to be relegated to animated films, and so forth.
In a way though, I am kind of glad that Capcom decided to give a completely new person a chance in the series. I think the reason I hate him so much is that you don't even get to see what he looks like. That's kind of annoying. The mods don't really count, because somebody designed his face. In the original, if you hack his model, he has no head. About the only time you briefly see his face is in a flashback near the end, where his wife throws him through a wall.
