Summary

• Alien: Romulus aims to redeem the ailing Alien franchise and may do so by bringing back a long-forgotten character.
• The movie is a standalone entry and takes place between Alien and Aliens, offering a new story and cast while still referencing other aspects of the franchise.
• Bringing back Ms. Yutani from Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem would give the series' real villain a new face and continue old themes, despite the controversy surrounding the crossover project.

Alien: Romulus is aiming to get the ailing Alien franchise back on its feet after decades of mediocrity, and one path to success could be through redeeming a long-forgotten character. Alien has one of the most complex pasts of any cinematic series, with an original quadrilogy, crossover spin-offs, and a pair of prequels providing extensive lore and continuity problems. Yet it's because of this complexity that the franchise also has ample opportunity to incorporate a wealth of interesting legacy characters.

Unlike Ridley Scott's divisive prequel series, Set between the events of Alien and Aliens, the movie's official synopsis states that it will feature "a group of young people on a distant world, who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe." This suggests an entirely new story and cast from previous entries. Nevertheless, the depth and popularity of Alien's lore means references to other aspects of the franchise are inevitable – and one could redeem one of the series' biggest missed opportunities.

Alien: Romulus Can Bring Back AVPR's Ms. Yutani

One surprisingly exciting potential returnee is Ms. Yutani from the much-maligned crossover project Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem. The movie itself, and its relationship to the rest of the franchise, has been a topic of fierce debate among fans – especially since Scott's prequels appeared to exorcise both it and the original Alien Vs. Predator from the canon. However, there are good reasons why bringing her back after 17 years would be an interesting development for Alien: Romulus.

The Weyland-Yutani Corporation has been a major antagonistic presence throughout the saga. However, despite its prominent role, only one-half of the business has really been explored on screen. A version of Mr. Weyland featured in AVP, an ancestor was seen in Alien 3 claiming to be Bishop's designer, and the supposedly "original" Peter Weyland arrived in Prometheus. With every appearance, the company's villainous credentials have been enhanced. Yet without Yutani, Weyland's role in the business seems illogically overstated. The involvement of AVPR's Yutani would give the series' real villain a new face while continuing old themes.

Why Ms. Yutani Should Return To The Alien Franchise – Despite AVPR

There are two obvious obstacles to AVPR's Ms. Yutani returning. The first is the setting of the new film, which can be overcome by repeating the same Bishop casting trick seen in Alien 3. The bigger issue, however, is that AVPR's status within the franchise is rightly under dispute following a poor reception and lackluster performance. Yet just because the movie as a whole was a failure, it doesn't mean that all its ideas should be cast aside.

Part of the original Alien's success came from the blasé way its characters discussed remuneration, bonuses, and general disgruntlement with their employers. The subtle critique of corporatism made the characters and setting feel believable – despite the film's outlandish futuristic aesthetic. While this theme is important in Alien, bringing back another Weyland would inevitably feel stale after so many appearances. A more interesting approach for Alien: Romulus would undoubtedly be to focus on the underutilized Yutani – expanding the lore of the saga and providing a subtle Easter egg for fans in the process.