Does Ripley show up in the Alien: Romulus movie? Connections to the first film explored

The Alien franchise returned to theatres last week after seven years when Alien: Romulus finally premiered on August 16, 2024. Directed by Fede Alvarez, the film focuses on a young group of colonizers and sees them board a derelict space station only to come face to face with the perfect organism: the Xenomorph.

With Alien: Romulus being set between Alien and Aliens and taking place 20 years after the first film, it features a brand new cast that includes the likes of Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Merced, and more. It also packs in a ton of references to various other films in the franchise and even shares a major connection to the first movie.

However, for fans who were expecting Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley to show up in the film in some capacity, it will be disappointing to learn that she doesn't appear in it. But still, Romulus packs in enough connections to the first film that fans will surely seem to appreciate.

---

How does Alien: Romulus connect to the first Alien film?

Alien: Romulus takes place 20 years after the first film. With Alien being set in the year 2122, it puts Romulus in the year 2142 and shares massive connections with the first film in the franchise. In the opening scene of the film, viewers can see Weyland-Yutani bring in a mysterious rock that is apparently retrieved from the floating debris of the Nostromo space station.

In that rock, they find the Xenomorph that caused havoc on the Nostromo spaceship - also known as Big Chap among the fandom. In the film, it's later revealed that Weyland-Yutani was experimenting on Xenomorph aboard the Romulus and Remus space station. However, the creature got let loose and killed on board.

Viewers also then get to know that Weyland-Yutani was experimenting on the Xenomorph to derive the "Prometheus-strain," also popularly known as the black goo among fans. This was being done so that the strain could be used on humans, turning the species into the perfect organisms.

---

Alien: Romulus also features an android similar to Ash

Aside from the Big Chap connection, Alien: Romulus also features another connection to Alien, but it is proven to be quite controversial among fans. The film brings back late actor Ian Holm, who famously portrayed the android Ash in Alien, through the use of puppetry and AI to portray a new character named Rook.

In the film, Rook is a science officer who was aboard the Romulus and Remus ship and was torn in half thanks to the Xenomorph. However, he is brought online by Rain and her crew, and his main objective is to do what's best in the interest of Weyland-Yutani. He also serves as the main antagonist of the film, but his inclusion in the movie has been subject to major controversy.

Many fans believed that it was ultimately disrespectful to Ian Holm's legacy. However, director Fede Alvarez defended using the late actor's likeness.

“We were not trying to do what can’t be done, which is to reproduce that person’s talent as an actor, because this is another character. The only thing they have in common is the likeness," said Alvarez via LA Times.

Viewers can check out Alien: Romulus in theatres right now.