Alien: Romulus is set to slot between the first two Alien installments. So, should you expect original franchise headliner Sigourney Weaver to appear in Alien: Romulus?
Related: Is Alien: Romulus a Sequel to Alien: Covenant?
Does Sigourney Weaver Return As Ellen Ripley In Alien: Romulus?
No, Sigourney Weaver is not in Alien: Romulus. There’s a fairly straightforward reason why, too: at this point in the Alien timeline, Weaver’s character, Ellen Ripley, is still in a stasis pod. Ripley enters the pod at the end of 1979’s Alien and doesn’t emerge for another 57 years, as depicted in 1986’s Aliens. As such, Weaver reprising the Ripley role in Romulus – set just 20 years after Alien – wouldn’t jibe with established canon. Of course, co-writer/director Fede Álvarez could conceivably include a scene in Alien: Romulus where Cailee Spaeny’s Rain Carradine and her pals come across Ripley’s stasis pod. There’s currently no indication that this will happen, however, and Weaver is not officially part of the Romulus cast.
Related: When Does Alien: Romulus Take Place on the Alien Timeline?
That’s bad news for fans of Ripley, who hasn’t appeared on the big screen since 1997’s Alien Resurrection. It’s not for want of trying, though. Notably, director Shane Black filmed an unused ending for 2018’s The Predator featuring Ripley – portrayed by stuntwoman Breanna Watkins, not Weaver – in stasis. Meanwhile, Weaver was briefly locked in to revisit her most iconic role in Neill Blomkamp’s Alien 5, before the production fell apart. According to Weaver, that film would’ve wrapped up Ripley’s story. “It’s a great story and it’s satisfying to me to give this woman an ending,” she told Entertainment Weekly in 2016.
What Sigourney Weaver Has Said About Her Alien Franchise Future
These days, Weaver seems less interested in portraying Ripley again – whether that’s in Alien: Romulus or any other prequels, sequels, or spinoffs. The Oscar-nominated actor said as much in a recent interview with Total Film, in which she effectively passed the torch to the next generation of performers. “There are all kinds of younger actors taking this kind of role,” she said. “And there was an Alien [film] that I really wanted to do with Neill Blomkamp and we didn’t get to do that, but, you know, that ship has sailed. I’m very happy doing what I’m doing. I put in my time in space!”
Related: First Alien: Romulus Trailer Returns the Franchise to Its Horror Roots
In the same interview, Weaver also addressed Ripley’s enduring appeal, which she primarily credited to Alien director Ridley Scott. “I think Ridley has a lot to do with [Ripley’s longevity],” Weaver explained. “They made Ripley a woman, without making her this helpless creature. Because I think I was very lucky. These were men who were creating this woman character, but they liked and respected strong women.”
Alien: Romulus arrives in theaters on August 16, 2024.
Published: Mar 27, 2024 07:16 am