Seven years since the previous entry,Alien: Romulusmarks the seventh film in theAlienfranchise to hit theaters. Fans are excited to see the perfect organism known as the Xenomorph return, but some might be curious as to whereRomulusfalls in the canon timeline.
TheAlienmovies span many decades, both in real life and in lore, with movies being sequels, prequels, and spin-offs, each providing something different for audiences to enjoy. However, it can all be a little convoluted for those wishing to experience this universe in chronological order instead of release order.
9Alien Vs. Predator (Not Canon) - 2004
Flawed But Cheesy Fun Monster Action
In an alternate timeline,Alien Vs. Predatorestablishes that the Xenomorphs were a race of creatures that the Yautja AKA Predators used as the ultimate prey for thousands of years.PrometheusandAlien: Covenantcompletely negates this with their new origin for the alien.
Alien Vs. Predatortakes place on contemporary Earth in 2004, featuring a group of explorers discovering a Yautja pyramid in the Antarctic, leading to the awakening of both Aliens and Predators alike in an all-out brawl. While critics werenot fond of the PG-13 crossoverof monsters, there is a small cult following that enjoys the film, despite it not being canon to the franchise.
8Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem (Not Canon) - 2004
Nobody Could See The Aliens And Predators Fight
The much bloodier and darker sequel toAlien Vs. Predatortakes place right after the events of the first one.Alien Vs. Predator: Requiemintroduces a famous enemy from the games and comics known as the Predalien, which begins a new Xenomorph infestation in a small town in Colorado.
While the R-rating was an improvement andthe new Wolf Predator was a highlight,Alien Vs. Predator: Requiemis often considered one of the worst of theAlien and Predatorfranchises. Fans often cite frustration with the overly dark lighting that renders the movie almost completely black in many scenes, which, combined with stale characters, resulted in a tragic end for the crossover franchise.
7Prometheus - 2093
The Prequel Brought The Movies Back But Divided Fans
Ridley Scott returned to the director’s chair withPrometheus, giving fans a rather divisive first chapter on the Xenomorph origin. Taking place thirty years before the events ofAlien,Prometheusfocuses less on the Xenos and more on the mysterious race of creatures known as the Engineers, seen previously only in skeletal form, nicknamed the Space Jockey in the original film.
It was a bold effort from Ridley Scott, seeing howPrometheusthrows in many twists and turns that make fans rethink what they know about the titular monsters of the franchise, for better or worse. The choices made inPrometheusoften split fans right down the middle, with some considering it a perfect prequel, while others view it with disdain.
6Alien: Covenant - 2104
More Divisive Origins Of The Xenomorph
The second and seemingly final chapter in Ridley Scott’s origin story,Alien: Covenant, finally brings the first Xenomorph to the big screen, truly showing where it came from. Similar to Prometheus,Alien: Covenantdivided audiences only for different reasons; fans who enjoyed Prometheus disliked the change in direction, while those who disliked Prometheus enjoyed the return to basics.
Michael Fassbender is the true star ofAlien: Covenant, with even nonfans praising himfor his dual role as the androidsDavid and Walter. The Protomorph seen was a highlight but wasn’t given enough screen time, and the practical effects used for filming were replaced with an all-CGI version that left fans disappointed.
5Alien - 2122
In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream
The originalAlienis a bonafide classic that started the entire franchise and picks up nearly twenty years after the ambiguous ending ofAlien: Covenant. It’s as simple as a horror film can get with a small group of space haulers finding a derelict ship resulting in their ship becoming the home of just one Xenomorph.
Alienis not that different from most monster or slasher films, with people being picked off one by one until Ellen Ripley is all that remains as an iconic protagonist. Ridley Scott earned his status as a master class director using a tight script, set design, and use of tension. The movie was so iconic thatit even inspired a sequel video gamethat followed the events of the movie.
4Alien: Romulus - 2142
The Franchise Returns To Its Horror Roots
Twenty years after Ellen Ripley destroyed the Nostromo and jettisoned the Xenomorph into space,Alien: Romulusfocuses on a group of colonists trying to escape to a new life but stumble upon a Xenomorph-infested space station. The newest take on the franchise is directed by modern horror legend Fede Alvarez, famous for films such asEvil DeadandDon’t Breathe.
Seemingly taking a page from the gameAlien: Isolation,Romulusgoes back to being a slasher horrorand brings the Xenomorph threat to a smaller location. However, with it being set between the first two movies, there is also a mystery for longtime fans as to how there are more Xenomorphs and how the story connects to the other films.
3Aliens - 2179
Often Considered Better Than The Original
Sigourney Weaver returned as Ellen Ripley in James Cameron’sAliens, a sequel that is often debated by many fans as superior to the first. Instead of one Xenomorph, there is an entire horde of them on LV-426 against a group of marines sent to eradicate them.
James Cameron leaned more toward an action-thriller withAliens, featuring multiple iconic characters, and new twists on the Xenomorph lore like the famous Queen Alien. Ripley proved to beeven better as a protagonist, especially when watching the Special Edition. Action, suspense, and tension work to create what can be considered the bestAlienmovie.
2Alien 3 - 2179
The Black Sheep Of Alien Movies
Taking place immediately afterAliens, the story ofAlien 3has Ripley being the only survivor yet again and the infestation from LV-426 has followed her to the prison planet of Fury-161. However, due to being birthed from an Ox, the Xenomorph is a new Runner breed that moves and operates differently from those bred from a human.
Over the years,Alien 3has remained a black sheep in the franchise due to its daring choices as a depressing movieset inside a prison facility. From the immediate deaths of Newt and Hicks to the reveal of Ripley being the host of a new Queen, but with the far superior Special Edition, it has seen new praise from fans with better pacing, expanded plotlines, and a more satisfying conclusion.
1Alien: Resurrection - 2381
The most maligned entry in theAlienfranchise,Alien: Resurrectionmade a two-hundred-year jump after the events ofAlien 3. Scientists use cloning technology to not only bring back Ripley from the grave but also the Queen that she died carrying in the previous film.
Other than some genuinely good special effects for the Xenomorphs and interesting concepts,Alien: Resurrectionsuffered from ill-placed intentional and unintentional humor that made the ultimate sci-fi horror franchise look like a joke. No other canon movie, book, comic, or video game has tried to follow the events ofResurrection, which is probably for the best.
