The most recent instalment in the Alien franchise, Noah Hawley’s Alien: Earth, has seen the long-running science-fiction franchise do something the Marvel Cinematic Universe hopes it can soon accomplish. Alien: Earth released its third episode on August 19, 2025, furthering the story of the Hybrid Lost Boys and the alien creatures that fell to Earth. The series has become a fast hit as the first TV show in the Alien franchise, expanding the franchise into long-form content akin to the recent MCU, but Alien has done something Marvel is still striving for.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Alien: Earth is the second Alien project to release following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox was finalized in 2019, 2024’s Alien: Romulus being the first. Disney has been doing something new with the legendary franchise, however, that has veered the adventure away from Ridley Scott’s original throughline that included the more recent Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. This could have been a risky move for the franchise, but Alien has actually managed to pull itself from its slump – something Marvel Studios is hoping for the MCU.
Alien Has Pulled Itself Out of a Slump With Its Recent Projects
The Alien franchise started strong with Scott’s Alien in 1979 and James Cameron’s memorable sequel in 1986, Aliens. However, 1992’s Alien 3, 1997’s Alien Resurrection, and the non-canon crossover events in the 2000s, Alien vs. Predator and Alien vs. Predator: Requiem, were all disappointments for the franchise. The poor reception and sorrowful performance of these movies could have tainted the Alien franchise for good. Prometheus and Covenant were better-received, but it’s really been the recent Alien: Romulus and Alien: Earth that have saved the franchise.
In recent years, Marvel Studios has come under fire for a noticeable drop in quality throughout the Multiverse Saga. While recent MCU instalments have been receiving much better reviews, Marvel is still trying to bring back its stellar reputation and consistently-massive box office draws. Alien: Earth is a prestige TV show that has proven to be a huge asset to the Alien franchise, and its standalone nature means you don’t have to do “homework” to understand it, much like many projects in the MCU, so Marvel could learn a thing or two.
The Alien Franchise’s Future After Alien: Earth Is Looking Very Bright
The success of Alien: Romulus, which totalled $350.9 million at the global box office on a budget of $80 million and achieved an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, began to revitalize the Alien franchise, and Alien: Earth has continued this trend. Alien: Earth has a whopping 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the highest-rated project in the Alien franchise’s entire history. There’s no sign of the franchise slowing down, either. A sequel to Romulus is in development from writer and director Fede Álvarez, and it’s very likely even more instalments will follow.
Beyond the continuation of the main Alien franchise, there has also been speculation of a new crossover with Predator. Dan Trachtenberg has revitalized the Predator franchise, with Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers receiving rave reviews. The upcoming Predator: Badlands is expected to include a number of Alien easter eggs, which hints at a possible convergence of these two newly-prestige franchises, giving audiences the blockbuster crossover event we’ve wanted for years, perfectly bridging the gap between movies and TV – something that Marvel Studios has struggled to accomplish, as the Multiverse Saga’s movies and shows have often felt disconnected.
Alien Has Even Been Dominating Marvel Comics in Recent Years
Disney’s acquisition of the Alien franchise in 2019 allowed Marvel Comics to produce a series of stories focused on the Xenomorph. Since 2021, the Alien corner of Marvel Comics has arguably done a better job of using the comic book format than the mainstream Marvel Universe, and this has culminated in an epic crossover event. 2024’s Alien vs. Avengers crossover has received hugely positive reviews, following the story of what happens when Xenomorphs come to Earth 616 and are fought by the world’s superheroes.
So far, four issues of Alien vs. Avengers have been released, pitting the world’s superheroes against an onslaught of Xenomorph creatures. Since 2021, Marvel has been gradually expanding the lore of the Alien franchise in its comic series’, while the Alien vs. Avengers crossover has delivered the kind of epic crossover event we haven’t really seen since 2015’s Secret Wars. Marvel can learn a lot from how the Alien franchise has been handled in recent years, so, hopefully, both franchises will only continue to improve.
What do you think of the Alien franchise’s new direction? Let us know in the comments!
Most Viewed
-
Image courtesy of Crunchyroll -
Image Courtesy of Disney+
