Aw Man, Alien: Covenant May Not Connect to Ripley After All

Ever since Ridley Scott started making Alien prequels, fans have wondered if, when, and how those movies will ever tie into the timeline of his 1979 classic. 2012’s Prometheus was in the same universe as the original, but other than, well, aliens, it didn’t have any crossover characters. But when images of the next prequel, Alien: Covenant, started appearing online, observers couldn’t help but notice Katherine Waterston’s character Daniels had a distinctly Ripley vibe. Could she be related to Sigourney Weaver’s iconic character?

Sadly, no. “It’s really fun to watch people try to figure out a way to ask [about that],” Waterston told WIRED at South by Southwest, referring to the online speculation about her character’s ties to the original Alien universe. “[They say] ‘Of course I’m not going to ask you if there’s any connection to Ripley, but is there any way…?’” Waterston went on to deadpan that she was “Ripley’s dad” before finally saying, “I heard that rumor, too. That’s all I know about it.”

But just because Daniels isn’t related to Ripley doesn’t mean Covenant won’t be a strong addition to the Alien canon. (People are already buzzing about the preview footage that screened at SXSW.) Check out the video above for more from Waterston and costar Danny McBride about their experiences working with Scott on Covenant, and what it’s like seeing “a guy walking by with my friend’s head” on set.