Warning: Spoilers for Alien: Romulus below!
Alien: Romulus seemed to confirm a wild Ridley Scott Xenomorph theory before debunking it. Scott’s prequels, including Prometheus and Covenant, aimed to reassert his authorship over the Alien franchise, including explaining the creation of the Xenomorphs and their biology.
In Alien: Covenant, Scott suggested the Xenomorphs were immortal, stating that a destroyed creature would eventually reshape itself off-screen. However, this theory was not depicted on-screen, and the sequels showed them being cut to pieces by Pulse Rifle gunfire. The director’s audio commentary reintroduced the concept, but it was a huge retcon.
In Alien: Romulus, Scott handed the director’s chair to Fede Álvarez, who still produced the film. The movie features the return of the original Xenomorph, also known as “Big Chap,” which seemed like the perfect opportunity to make the immortality theory canon. Instead, Alvarez killed Big Chap off-screen, permanently debunking Scott’s immortal theory.
The movie’s prologue shows the original Xenomorph being recovered in a Weyland-Yutani probe, and it’s also revealed that Big Chap survived the events of the first Alien and went into hibernation. However, when the heroes come across the creature’s desiccated corpse, it’s clear that it’s incredibly dead, making it difficult to picture it reassembling itself.
The immortality concept isn’t a popular one within the Alien fandom, and Scott’s theory was not depicted on-screen. However, with Alien: Romulus’ success, faith in the property has been restored, and it’s possible that Scott might return one final time to explore this concept. The fate of David’s character is still unresolved, and Scott could potentially wrap up the storyline while introducing new characters and fleshing out the immortality idea.
