By adding one forgotten 15-year-old species to its roster, Disney’s new Alien prequel can finally make Predator cannon. 2024’s Alien: Romulus defied expectations and proved to be a compelling addition to the overarching franchise. Although an official follow-up to the film has not been confirmed, it could happen in the future if everything falls into place. Fortunately, the Alien franchise is far from over and is all set to expand its lore with an upcoming series, Alien: Earth.
Created by Noah Hawley, Alien: Earth serves as a prequel to the first Alien movie. In the Alien franchise’s overarching timeline, it unfolds two years before the 1979 Ridley Scott movie. While most details surrounding the movie’s plot and creature roster are still under wraps, its teasers and trailers have given away several hints surrounding its setting and the type of alien creatures its characters could face. Based on one of these teasers, Alien: Earth could also make room for a long-forgotten species, which could even confirm that Predator is canon to the franchise.
Alien: Earth Could Have Predators’ River Ghost As One Of Its Alien Life Forms
The Show’s Teaser Suggests It Will Feature Five Different Life Forms
Alien and Predator are two franchises that have a fair share of crossovers, but the extent of their connection has always remained ambiguous within the official canon. The Alien vs. Predator films attempted to merge the two universes by featuring two of the most iconic alien beings from both in the same frame. However, despite the loose ties, it is hard to tell whether all movies from both franchises truly exist within the shared universe. Alien: Earth can finally bury all doubt surrounding these connections by featuring the River Ghost species from Predators.
The upcoming show’s latest teaser, titled “Crate,” hints that it will feature five dangerous species from the darkest edges of the universe. This has led many viewers to speculate that, alongside the Xenomorph, the show could feature a Predator or hybrid version of the two creatures. Since the River Ghost was introduced as a whole new species in Predators, it would make sense for the show to have it as one of its five alien beings.
Alien: Earth’s Teaser Might Have Already Hinted At The River Ghost’s Return
The Teaser Features Visuals Of Insect Legs
After watching Alien: Earth‘s teaser, many viewers could not help but notice how it features mysterious insect-like beings (via Reddit). While some speculated that the visuals represented a Xenomorph, others theorized the insectoid creature could be a hybrid alien. Interestingly, the insect-like visuals could also be a solid reference to the River Ghost species. In Predators, River Ghosts clearly had insect-like legs and a skeletal frame that gave them a distinct, bug-like appearance.
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The movie also established that several insects live on their skin, seemingly allowing them to survive the harsh conditions on the Predators‘ game reserve. This raises the possibility that the visuals from the teaser are hinting at the River Ghosts’ return in the series. If a River Ghost happens to be among Alien: Earth‘s creature roster, the prequel could establish a solid connective thread to the Predator franchise. The entire timeline of the two franchises would still be confusing, but River Ghost’s inclusion could create a loose bridge between Alien and Predator.
Why The River Ghosts Would Be The Perfect Additions To The FX Show’s Alien Roster
The River Ghosts Would Be Worthy Predator Replacements
Having both Xenomorphs and Predators in the same show could overcrowd the narrative and also risk diluting the unique sense of terror that each creature brings to the table. The presence of both alien beings would also significantly reduce the odds of the show’s humans’ survival, which could undermine the tension that comes from watching characters struggle against one powerful being. Therefore, instead of having Predators on board, Alien: Earth could hint at Predator lore by featuring a River Ghost.
Since River Ghost also bears some similarity to Predator in appearance, it could be a worthy replacement for the creatures in the show’s first installment. As seen in Predators, River Ghosts are also less intimidating than the Yautja, which would give Alien: Earth‘s characters a fair chance at beating them. Hopefully, the upcoming Alien prequel will not miss this opportunity and feature the River Ghost species in some capacity.