Alien: Romulus Sequel Rumor Teases One Character’s Return (But Not How Fans Think)

The sequel to Alien: Romulus could be bringing back the franchise’s most famous character in an unexpected way, as Ellen Ripley is rumored to appear in the film. Industry insider Daniel Richtman, aka DanielRPK, shared the information in a Patreon post, noting that if this happens, the filmmakers would be incorporating digital de-aging to pull it off. “For the next Alien movie, they’re considering bringing back Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) using de-aging technology,” the post reads. It is important to keep in mind that this is a rumor and should be taken with a grain of salt for now.

Richtman’s post does not specify if the plan would be to have Weaver film her scenes on-set and be digitally de-aged in post, or if another actress will have their face replaced with a young Weaver’s likeness. The use of the phrase “de-aging technology” lends credence to the belief that the former scenario is the one in play, but the wording is vague enough that both are possible.

Released in August 2024, Alien: Romulus was critical and box office success, grossing $350.8 million worldwide against an $80 million production budget. A follow-up was quickly announced in October 2024, but the project has not received an official release date as of this writing. Director Fede Álvarez has cautioned fans it might take a while for the sequel to come to fruition, as he won’t move forward on anything until he feels he has “a story that is worthy of everyone’s time and is worthy of the title.”

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At one point, Weaver was set to reprise Ripley in an Alien film. Director Neill Blomkamp was developing an Aliens sequel that would have disregarded the events of Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection. However, that project, which would have teamed Ripley with Newt and Hicks again, never got off the ground. In the years since, Weaver has discussed the possibility of returning to the franchise. While she said it’s “not impossible” that she could return, she’s also “yet to read a script that said ‘you have got to do this.’”

While Alien: Romulus earned praise for taking the series back to its horror-infused roots with several unnerving sequences, the film was also hit with criticism for relying too heavily on nostalgia. The decision to digitally recreate the late Ian Holm’s face for the android character Rook generated a substantial amount of controversy — particularly over the ethical concerns of reviving a dead actor with modern technology. Since Weaver is still alive, this isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison, but it could still be seen as another example of the filmmakers being too dependent on the past as opposed to paving a new way forward. Álvarez has claimed he wants to explore “uncharted waters” with the Romulus sequel; the appearance of a digitally de-aged Weaver would seemingly negate that.

There’s also the question of how Ripley would fit into a Romulus sequel’s story. Romulus is considered an interquel in the franchise — on the timeline, it’s set between Alien and Aliens. During the events of Romulus, Ripley is floating through space in stasis, and she won’t be found until several years later as Aliens begins. Logistically, there doesn’t seem to be a spot for her in a Romulus follow-up, but Álvarez and his team could come up with a way to make it work. This would be a considerable risk, but there would be plenty of excitement surrounding Weaver’s long-awaited return to the role that made her a household name. It’ll be interesting to see if this rumor amounts to anything as development on the Romulus sequel continues.