Fede Alvarez has cleared up rumors about a big Alien franchise actor returning. He directed Alien: Romulus, a 2024 movie that did great at the box office and even earned an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects. While the movie honors the older films, it mainly features a fresh cast, including Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu.
On social media, Alvarez addressed a rumor claiming that the studio might bring back Ellen Ripley, the franchise’s famous character. Alvarez shut it down, saying,
Fun gossip. But not true at all.
Alien: Romulus is set between the events of Alien and Aliens, meaning Ellen Ripley is still alive during this time. However, neither Sigourney Weaver nor any version of Ripley appeared in the 2024 movie. When the sequel to Alien: Romulus was announced, fans naturally wondered if Ripley might show up in the next film.
She’s a fan-favorite character, and modern de-aging technology could even allow Sigourney Weaver to reprise her role. Despite this, Fede Alvarez’s recent comments make it clear that Ripley will not be returning.
The sequel could still feature characters linked to the earlier movies, even if Ripley doesn’t appear. In Alien: Romulus, the story included a synthetic named Rook, the same model as Ash, played by Ian Holm in the original films.
See More: Fede Alvarez Says They Improved the CGI Ian Holm for the ‘Alien: Romulus’ Home Release
Although Holm passed away in 2020, the team used AI and CGI to recreate his likeness. While the sequel won’t use this technology to de-age Sigourney Weaver, it’s possible they might bring back other characters from Alien or Aliens.
It’s probably for the best that the Alien: Romulus sequel isn’t planning to bring back a de-aged Sigourney Weaver as Ripley. Even a small cameo could make the movie feel like it’s just trying to please fans. Plus, Weaver has already been de-aged for her role as Kiri in James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water and the upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash. Using the same technique for the Alien: Romulus sequel might lead to people making fun of the idea.
Source: Fede Alvarez/X