After being revitalized by the 2024 surprise hit Alien: Romulus, the long-running Alien franchise could already find itself back on the ropes thanks to one significant change. After the lore and history of the Alien universe expanded with Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, Alien: Romulus took the franchise back to the cosmic claustrophobia of its roots, and restored interest in the franchise as a whole.

That interest has been further reinvigorated by the TV series Alien: Earth, which has set records with its Rotten Tomatoes score. Naturally, there are plenty of ideas for the future of the franchise flying around, and a sequel to Alien: Romulus was first on the list. As it stands now, there is a sequel in development, although it will carry on without one of the key minds that made Alien: Romulus work so well.

Director Fede Álvarez revealed he will not be returning to direct the Romulus sequel, instead transitioning to the producer’s chair alongside Ridley Scott. The pair is in the process of seeking a new director to helm the franchise, but Álvarez confirmed that the script is essentially finished and that it would be a continuation of the narrative kicked off with Romulus, theoretically bringing Cailee Spaeny’s Rain Carradine back.

Fede Álvarez Not Returning For Romulus’ Sequel Is A Risk

It’s not uncommon for franchises to change hands as they progress, but having Álvarez hand it off already with the franchise still in a delicate position feels like a true risk. Álvarez’s vision was important in restoring the best elements of the first two universally-acclaimed Alien movies. His background in horror was behind Romulus‘ pivot away from the more mythological and philosophical chapters that came before it (Prometheus and Alien: Covenant).

Alien: Romulus was praised specifically for its striking visuals and claustrophobic atmosphere, both elements that led to some critics calling it the best Alien movie since the original. Álvarez effectively balanced gore and sharp, sudden moments of action with the creepy, shadowy ambiance that marked Ridley Scott’s 1978 genre cornerstone, and that’s what really sets it apart from the other Alien sequels of the last 20 years.

To be clear, it’s encouraging that Álvarez and Scott will still be involved with the sequel to Alien: Romulus, particularly from a script standpoint. However, the fact that a new director could bring in an entirely different style could wind up being an overall negative considering how pitch-perfect Álvarez’s vision was.

It’s perfectly possible that Álvarez’s replacement add to his work and moves the franchise forward, just as Álvarez himself did. After all, Ridley Scott turned over control to James Cameron for the franchise’s first sequel, and he produced something that many consider to be on par with the original. However, with a question mark behind the camera as of now, the risk of a step backwards simply exists.

It’s essential that the sequel to Alien: Romulus maintains the overall tone of the 2024 hit, especially with Alien: Earth doing an exceptional job in continuing to advance the lore. While there are plenty of scary moments in the acclaimed show, it’s far too sprawling (and obviously Earth-bound) to ever nail the desolation and claustrophobia of deep space that marks the best of the Alien franchise.

Alien Can’t Afford A Misstep With Romulus’ Sequel

Perhaps most importantly, the Romulus sequel needs to maintain the overall audience interest at the box office if the franchise is going to continue to move forward. Alien: Earth is outstanding and has been embraced by critics and audiences alike, but it has not yet been renewed for a second season, and there are no guarantees that the series will extend beyond one season (although it seems destined for that).

If the sequel to Romulus isn’t at least comparable to its predecessor in quality, that could spell doom for the franchise just as it’s on the precipice of a really exciting development. The upcoming Predator franchise sequel Predator: Badlands confirmed a connection between the two franchises, as a Weyland-Yutani android from the Alien universe shows up as an ally for a young Yautja hunter.

An outright flop from the sequel to Alien: Romulus could be disastrous, even if it’s not enough to derail the cross-over franchise plans that seem to be an inevitability at this point. The Predator franchise, under Dan Trachtenberg’s guidance, has been incredibly exciting (and high quality) since he revitalized it with Prey, and a letdown sequel for Alien could see the sci-fi scales tip in favor of the Predator.

No matter who the director of the Alien: Romulus sequel winds up being, they need to keep the forward momentum of the franchise rolling. The opportunity has literally never been greater, or at least not since Aliens landed in theaters, and a high-quality sequel could take things over the top.