If you loved Jared Leto’s chilling performance in 2036: Nexus Dawn, that first riveting Blade Runner 2049 prequel short, then you’ll likely love this second of three in the series, which director Denis Villeneuve (Arrival) had commissioned to help create buzz for this October’s long-awaited sequel to Ridley Scott’s seminal sci-fi masterpiece, Blade Runner.

As Villeneuve says at the beginning of the short, "I decided to ask a couple of artists that I respect to create three short stories that dramatize some key events that appeared after 2019, when the first Blade Runner takes place, but before 2049 when my new Blade Runner story begins."

This new prequel short -- directed by Luke Scott (the second-unit director on Alien: Covenant and The Martian) and dropped via Twitter by iTunes Trailers, gives us a little more backstory behind Dave Bautista’s character, Sapper, a salesman of sorts, selling his mysterious wares in the gritty, gutty, and supremely unfriendly city of Los Angeles in 2048. Good thing Sapper has a ton of ass-kicking experience. But it's not just Bautista's brawn on display, it's his acting too. I've personally never seen him better, dramatically speaking.

At the end of the short, we find out Sapper is something more than a salesman, which may very well be a clue as to his role in the feature film. We'll let you do the detective work there, though. Check it out:

Awesome, right? I personally love these prequel shorts. You get more insight into the characters, but not at the expense of spoiling plot. But you are given a few clues as to what action may yet unfold, which just get you all the more excited for the film to come out on Oct. 6.

What do you think, are you loving these prequel shorts too?