‘Alien: Romulus 2’: Fede Álvarez Debunks Ripley Rumors!!

Social media is known for being an ever-churning machine of gossip with users forced to fact-check much of what they read online. When it comes to the entertainment industry, rumors catch on like wildfire and soon, fans will be caught up in something that’s completely untrue. Thankfully, not all heroes wear capes — some just write their storylines — with folks like James Gunn frequently taking to platforms to correct his followers on their not-so-hot takes. Recently, Alien: Romulus helmer, Fede Alvarez, stepped up to the plate to dispel a highly-hopeful fan theory.

The theory in question surrounded the return of Sigourney Weaver’s Alien franchise character, Ellen Ripley, and her return to the universe in the next film. On X, a fan account shared the speculation that Ripley would be coming back to the fold with her guns a’blazin in 20th Century Studios’ next venture into the dangerous otherworldly universe.

Taking to his own X (formerly Twitter) account, Alvarez put the rumor to rest, writing:

“Fun gossip. But not true at all.”

Fans are certainly torn on the topic of Weaver’s return to the fold, with some in the pro camp, while others, like Collider’s Shawn Van Horn, desperately want her to stay away from the franchise. Weaver herself has even given mixed weigh-ins to her badass final girl’s possible return, telling Deadline last summer,

“I feel like she’s never far away from me, but on the other hand, I’ve yet to read a script that said ‘you have got to do this.’ So for me, she is in this other dimension, safe from the Alien for the time being. I don’t really think about it, but you know, it’s not completely impossible, and certainly a lot of good filmmakers are inspired by the material.”

But, after the success of 2024’s Alien: Romulus, which introduced a new lineup of faces and a fresh story to the sci-fi horror film series, it would seem that we have a new final girl in Cailee Spaeny’s Rain Carradine. And that’s just fine with us.

One Small Step for ‘Alien’, One Giant Leap for the Franchise

Fun gossip. But not true at all.

— Fede Alvarez (@fedalvar) January 23, 2025

The August 2024 arrival of Alien: Romulus made Xenomorphs scary again, with the acclaimed horror helmer’s unique vision and use of practical effects — which landed the title an Oscar nomination. So, what’s next? Right now, Alvarez is working with 20th Century Studios on a sequel. The Evil Dead director previously teased where he was at in the process to io9, revealing that he and his co-writer, Rodo Sayagues, “have some ideas,” but they’re not completely sold on any of them, adding, “I think with sequels, it’s always about finding the right story”. Meanwhile, another chapter of Alien will be told on the small screen with FX’s upcoming series, Alien: Earth, which is slated for a release this summer.