UPDATE: 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell has denied the report. Asbell replied “Nope.” to a post on X citing World of Reel’s story that the Alien: Romulus sequel has been shelved.
Worth noting what the one-word denial does not address: who is directing the movie, when it films, whether Michael Fassbender’s David is still in play, or how it gets made with David Jonsson now Marvel’s Black Panther and Cailee Spaeny circling Rogue. Álvarez remains gone, and the director chair remains empty. The original article continues below.
The Alien: Romulus sequel is reportedly dead, and the finger is being pointed at Ridley Scott; however, that may mean good news for Marvel.
World of Reel reports the follow-up to Fede Álvarez’s 2024 hit has been indefinitely shelved and might never happen.
The site notes they sat on the story for a while because it came from a single source, albeit one they call among their most reliable, so file this under rumor for now.
Ridley Scott Reportedly Killed The Fassbender Plan
Per the report, Álvarez wanted to bring back Michael Fassbender’s David for the sequel.
The actor was practically signed, and a final draft of the script had been written.
Scott, who produces the franchise and introduced the David character in Prometheus, then refused to let the android appear in another director’s film.
That reportedly sent the project into a tailspin.
Álvarez, who had confirmed pre-production was underway with cameras set to roll in October, suddenly exited and moved on.
20th Century then went from one Evil Dead director to another, approaching Evil Dead Burn‘s Sebastien Vanicek, but those talks collapsed as well. Ruimy floats the possibility Scott interfered there, too.
The Cast Already Told You
The writing has been on the wall all week.
David Jonsson, who played the android Andy, was just revealed as Marvel’s new Black Panther during Marvel’s Hall H panel at Comic-Con, with Black Panther 3 dated for December 2028.
Now Cailee Spaeny is following him into the MCU.
Scooper Daniel Richtman reports Rain herself is in talks to play Rogue in Marvel Studios’ X-Men movie. Treat that as a rumor until Marvel says so, but her name lands in an X-Men casting rumor mill that was already out of control, and this time it comes with the word “talks” attached.
So both the leads of Alien: Romulus are now headed to Marvel Studios while the sequel that would have reunited them sits on a shelf.
