Alien: Covenant star Michael Fassbender discusses his possible return to the franchise in the future. Fassbender began his career with an appearance in historical action epic 300, before starring in independent films such as Eden Lake and Fish Tank. He rose to prominence playing Archie Hicox in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, before making his first appearance in the Alien franchise playing android David in 2012’s Prometheus. Fassbender reprised his role in the follow-up movie Alien: Covenant in 2017, but did not appear in 2024’s Alien: Romulus.
In a red carpet interview with Screen Rant’s Liam Crowley, Fassbender discusses the possibility of returning to the franchise, and completing a trilogy of appearances in the Alien universe. When asked if he would prefer to finish a trilogy as David, or bring X-Men’s Magneto – another of his roles – to the MCU, the Irishman reveals his focus is solely on his current project The Agency, and that he doesn’t really think about it. He praises Ridley Scott’s direction and says he is always open to working with him. Check out the 47-year-old’s comments below:
I don’t really think about either, to be honest. I’m concentrating on this [The Agency], and I don’t look into the future that much. I had a great time doing both. I was very lucky, I feel, to work with Ridley Scott. I love him; we did 3 films together.
If he wants to go for another one, I’m always there to work with him. He’s a master, but I don’t really think about it.
What This Means For Fassbender’s Alien Future
The Star Could Return At Some Stage
The great thing about science-fiction movies is that they can make up the rules as they go, and there are multiple ways in which Fassbender’s David could return in subsequent movies. As he is an android, there is the possibility that he could be created again, or cloned, allowing the character to reappear despite being destroyed in Covenant. Indeed, in the movie, Fassbender plays both David 8 and Walter One, two synthetic androids who look the same, and this is a comfortable way of introducing the actor back into the franchise in future films.
With Romulus receiving widespread acclaim, and a strong box office performance, there is a good chance more Alien movies will follow in the near future.
But there might be a plan to do this anyway, and Fassbender has certainly not ruled out a return to the Alien franchise down the line. The fact David does not appear in Romulus could have more to do with story – the events take place between Alien and Aliens – than Fassbender’s lack of desire to return. With Romulus receiving widespread acclaim, and a strong box office performance, there is a good chance more Alien movies will follow in the near future.
Our Verdict On Fassbender’s Alien Return
If Scott Is Still Involved This Is A Very Real Chance
As Fassbender’s comments reveal, he enjoyed his time as part of the Alien franchise, and seemingly has a good working relationship with Scott, so the chances of him making a return in the future are high, especially if Scott is involved again. While Alien: Romulus is a prequel of sorts, a sequel to Alien: Covenant should not be ruled out in the future, and if that comes to fruition, I have no doubt Fassbender will be involved in some capacity.
Alien: Covenant, directed by Ridley Scott, follows the crew of the colony ship Covenant as they discover an uncharted planet. Initially seeming like a paradise, the planet soon reveals dark secrets. Katherine Waterston, Michael Fassbender, and Billy Crudup lead the cast in this science fiction horror film, which serves as a direct sequel to Prometheus and continues to explore the origins of the Alien species.
- Release Date
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May 19, 2017
- Studio(s)
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20th Century
- Distributor(s)
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20th Century
- Writers
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dante harper
, John Logan
, Jack Paglen
, Michael Green - Cast
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Michael Fassbender
, Katherine Waterston
, Billy Crudup
, Danny McBride
, Demián Bichir
, Carmen Ejogo
, Jussie Smollett
, Callie Hernandez
, Amy Seimetz
, Nathaniel Dean
, Alexander England
, Benjamin Rigby
, Uli Latukefu
, Tess Haubrich
, Lorelei King
, Goran D. Kleut
, Andrew Crawford
, Tom O’Sullivan
, James Franco
, Guy Pearce
, Noomi Rapace - Character(s)
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David
, Walter
, Daniels
, Oram
, Tennessee
, Lope
, Karine
, Ricks
, Upworth
, Faris
, Hallett
, Ankor
, Ledward
, Cole
, Rosenthal
, Mother (voice)
, Xenomorph
, Neomorph
, Jacob Branson
, Peter Weyland
, Elizabeth Shaw - Runtime
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123 Minutes
- Budget
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$97–111 Million
