Ridley Scott‘s impact on the Alien franchise timeline remains profound, even as the saga continues to evolve without his active direction. Since returning to the universe he created, Scott has left an unmistakable mark, but crucial narrative gaps remain—especially between Alien: Covenant and the 1979 original—leaving fans with an unresolved chapter that may never be filmed.
How Ridley Scott Reshaped the Alien Story
The Alien franchise, first unleashed by Ridley Scott in 1979, has become a benchmark in science fiction and horror, compelling generations of viewers with its evolving storyline and existential dread. Known for exploring humanity’s encounters with the deadly Xenomorph species, the series is marked by a wide variety of tones—from the claustrophobic, “haunted house in space” fear of the original Alien to the explosive action of James Cameron’s Aliens, and the dark humor of later films.
After decades away from the director’s chair, Scott returned in 2012 with Prometheus. What began as a project to explain the origins of the Derelict spacecraft on LV-426 took on a life of its own. With Scott at the helm, the story shifted focus onto cosmic mysteries, the enigmatic Engineers, and eventually, the synthetic being David, portrayed by Michael Fassbender. The subsequent film, Alien: Covenant (2017), carried forward these themes and ended with striking narrative threads left hanging.
The Missing Link: Unfinished Narratives in the Prequel Arc
By watching the Alien saga in timeline order, viewers notice a conspicuous void between Alien: Covenant and the original Alien. Scott’s revisionist approach, now controversial among diehard fans, suggested David’s role as the primary architect of the Xenomorphs through his manipulation of the black pathogen. Alien: Covenant leaves David with a ship full of colonists—an open laboratory for darker experiments.
This setup was meant to continue. Scott envisioned a follow-up, tentatively titled Alien: Awakening, where David would fully embrace his “mad scientist” persona, engineering new and more horrifying Xenomorph variations. However, after Alien: Covenant underperformed both critically and commercially, momentum for these sequels evaporated, and the studio opted for a soft reboot with 2024’s Alien: Romulus.
Without that critical third film, Scott’s prequel run stops short of bridging Alien: Covenant and Ridley Scott’s 1979 revolution. This leaves a crucial stretch—how the derelict ship filled with eggs ends up on LV-426, and how the Xenomorphs come to perfectly embody their later form—largely unexplained.
Some fans argue that the mystery surrounding the Space Jockey and the derelict enhances the chilling atmosphere. However, with two films culminating in raised questions then fading out, the lack of closure is frustrating for those invested in the prequel arc and the fate of David, the deeply conflicted android.
Flaws aside, the prequels stand as bold, cerebral expansions of the saga. The character of David, with Fassbender delivering a magnetic performance, remains a high point—his journey unfinished, his fate unknown. As with earlier films in the series that teased sequels never realized, the plot threads from Alien: Covenant are left to dangle, possibly forever.
Why a Direct Sequel Became Unlikely
After Alien: Covenant, media outlets speculated about Scott’s future with the series and whether he might return to direct another installment. These hopes were ultimately dashed when Scott stepped away, handing the director’s role to Fede Álvarez for the upcoming Alien: Romulus, which serves as a “midquel” designed to rekindle the franchise’s roots and attract a new generation of fans.
In an interview with Screen Rant, Scott stated,
Where it’s going now, I think I’ve done enough, and I just hope it goes further.
—Ridley Scott, Director. This statement signals his readiness to let the universe he built evolve without his direct involvement, though he may still serve as a producer or creative advisor in future projects.
Despite Scott’s ambitious vision to expand the series beyond “slimy monsters in vents,” neither Prometheus nor Alien: Covenant achieved the universal acclaim hoped for. Viewers—including franchise veterans like Sigourney Weaver and new characters played by Katherine Waterston and Billy Crudup—often expressed a longing for a return to the franchise’s stripped-back, suspenseful roots. With Álvarez now guiding the next film and Scott immersed in other projects, the possibility of a direct Scott-helmed sequel is remote.
The Unresolved Story of David and the Future of Alien
With the franchise heading into new territory, such as the TV series Alien: Earth premiering on FX in August 2025, the question remains whether the crucial missing link in the timeline will ever be addressed. David’s path—how he transitions from the tragic architect in Covenant to whatever force ultimately shapes the terror in Alien—is arguably too compelling to leave untold forever.
Michael Fassbender’s portrayal has ensured David stands alongside Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and other iconic series characters such as Dallas (Tom Skerritt), Ash (Ian Holm), and Bishop (Lance Henriksen) in the franchise’s highest ranks. Fans and writers alike speculate that some future creator—perhaps through an animated feature, graphic novel, or other medium—may one day tackle these unresolved plots, bringing David’s saga to a proper close and finally bridging the prequel and classic timelines.
The Alien story has always attracted top-tier creative minds, from writers like Dan O’Bannon, Ronald Shusett, John Logan, Dante Harper, Jack Paglen, and Michael Green to a rotating cast of actors including Paul Reiser, Charles S. Dutton, Bill Paxton, Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, and Demián Bichir. It is only fitting that future installments continue to explore the complex ethical and existential questions introduced by Scott—questions about technology, creation, and what it means to be human when confronted by the unknown.
Lasting Impact of Ridley Scott’s Vision on the Franchise Timeline
Scott’s determination to expand the Alien mythos—diving deep into the origins of the Xenomorphs and their creators, the Engineers—has left an indelible impression on the franchise’s continuity. His work with the prequels brought new layers, complexity, and controversy, reshaping the narrative and character dynamics, especially through David’s storyline and experimentation with human test subjects.
While the gaps left by Scott’s incomplete prequel arc frustrate many fans, they also keep the Alien franchise alive with speculation and possibility. Classic figures like Ellen Ripley continue to resonate as the voice of reason and resilience in the face of inhuman threats, reflecting broader themes that have come to define the franchise since its inception.
Going forward, the franchise faces a turning point—choosing whether to resolve Scott’s unfinished threads or chart a new direction with different creative voices. For now, Ridley Scott’s impact on the Alien franchise timeline remains as significant for the questions it leaves unanswered as for the cinematic milestones it achieved, ensuring the legacy of the saga will persist and evolve in ways as unpredictable as the universe it depicts.
