Warning: Major spoilers for Alien: Romulus below!

Summary

• Alien: Romulus confirms the survival of the original Xenomorph, "Big Chap," from the first movie.
• The movie wastes Big Chap's return by killing him offscreen and using him as a mere plot device.
• Big Chap should have been Romulus' main threat.

I was both delighted that Alien movie franchise for as long as I can recall and outside of 2007's atrocious Alien Vs Predator: Requiem, I've enjoyed them all in their own ways. Part of me will always feel disappointed that Covenant's jet black cliffhanger ending will never get resolved. Still, considering the prequel's tepid response and underperformance (earning $239 million worldwide, via The Numbers), a direct sequel was never going to happen.

Producers decided to wipe the slate clean with Fede Álvarez's latest entry, Romulus. I had a great time with the sequel/midquel, even though it adds little that's fresh and the amount of easter eggs and callbacks gets a little grating. One of the biggest shockers was the film using the likeness and voice of the late, great Ian Holm as Rook, an android who is basically identical to Alien's Ash. It was a bold choice, but it's only fitting since Romulus also features the return of the original Xenomorph (AKA "Big Chap") himself.

I Predicted Alien's "Big Chap" Survived The Original Movie

My Alien theory is the rare instance of fan theory becoming fan fact

In this 2019 article, I then put forth the idea the original Star Beast could have survived being blasted into space in Alien's finale.

In 2019, I wrote a Screen Rant feature about the quickly forgotten Alien: Isolation web series, and a new wrinkle it added to the Xenomorph's lifecycle. This series took the cutscenes from the 2014 video game while adding in a framing device where main character Amanda Ripley is floating amidst the debris of the Sevastopol Station. The final episode reveals the Xenomorphs floating in the wreckage aren't dead but have gone into a state of hibernation in space. In this article, I put forth the idea the original Star Beast could have survived being blasted into space in Alien's finale.

It was a logical conclusion to draw, but I never thought a future entry would actually bring back "Big Chap," as he was affectionally dubbed during the original movie's production. Cut to 2024, the opening scene of Alien: Romulus features a Weyland Yutani salvage ship scooping up the creature's cocoon so they can perform experiments on it. Bringing back the saga's original creature is such a cool hook, and got me excited to see Big Chap's comeback - only to be quickly disappointed by his function in the plot.

The Alien: Isolation video game marks the final time (to date) that Sigourney Weaver has played the role of Ellen Ripley.

I Can't Believe How Badly Alien: Romulus Wasted Big Chap's Return

Kane's Son plays an important role in Romulus, just not onscreen

During a big exposition dump, Rook explains to Alien: Romulus' cast of characters that the company recovered the body of Xenomorph, which soon awoke and wiped out almost everyone on the station. I was then shocked to see Rook point to the charred remains of Big Chap, with the android revealing the security forces still managed to kill the beast. So, instead of the original Xenomorph serving as the central threat, the "Perfect Organism" was killed offscreen long before the movie's heroes even wandered onto the station.

I can't help but mourn what a waste this is. Big Chap is essentially a MacGuffin that kicks Romulus' narrative into motion, but I wanted to see him back in action. Perhaps Alvarez felt it would be disrespectful to use the same creature, or he didn't want to distract from the bizarre creature he introduces in Alien: Romulus' finale. Either way, seeing an old theory of mine proving to be on the money, only for it to be a non-event felt quite deflating while watching the movie.

Source: The Numbers