Alien: Earth – A Superior Prequel to Prometheus, Now Streaming on Hulu

by

If you’re looking for a more satisfying take on the beginning of the Alien story, check out Alien: Earth, which is now available on Hulu. The original prequel, Prometheus, split audiences – some appreciated its complex themes, while others found it too confusing and disconnected from the Alien universe. Its follow-up, Alien: Covenant, wasn’t much more successful, and the planned prequel trilogy ultimately wasn’t completed.

Although Ridley Scott never fully explored the beginnings of the Alien universe, the series Alien: Earth has. Season one of Alien: Earth introduced the Xenomorphs – and other creatures – to Earth, where they came into contact with the five powerful corporations from the Alien films, especially Prodigy and Weyland-Yutani. This means there are now two different official stories explaining the origins of Alien, but one is much stronger than the other.

Alien: Earth Was A Better Version Of Prometheus (For The Most Part)

Both Prometheus and Alien: Earth were designed as backstories to the original Alien film. Prometheus explored where the Xenomorphs and the mysterious Engineers came from, while Alien: Earth showed how the Weyland-Yutani corporation first became interested in them. While both films tell origin stories, Alien: Earth is widely considered to be a stronger movie than Prometheus.

In almost every way, Alien: Earth is a stronger film than Prometheus. The characters in Earth are more well-rounded, easier to connect with, and more intelligent than those in Prometheus. It also delves deeper and more clearly into the complex relationship between humans, technology, and monstrous beings, unlike Prometheus, which presents philosophical questions about humanity’s origins and encounters with its creators in a less engaging way.

While much of what makes Alien: Earth compelling comes from its longer format – eight hour-long episodes versus Prometheus‘s two-hour runtime – Prometheus did excel in some areas, particularly its ambitious ideas and use of symbolism. However, Alien: Earth ultimately presents a tighter, more streamlined, and better-executed origin story than Prometheus does.

Alien: Earth Proved That Androids Are Now The Franchise’s True Protagonists

The movie Alien followed the path started by Prometheus by increasingly centering the story around artificial beings—androids and synthetics. While these characters, like Ash in the first Alien film, were previously supporting players who enhanced Ripley’s story, Prometheus introduced David and began to make synthetics central figures in their own right.

David returned as a key character in Alien: Covenant, and that trend continued in Alien: Romulus. The film featured the villain Rook, as well as Andy, who had a strong emotional connection to the character Rain and was presented as a central figure. Alien: Earth took things even further by focusing entirely on Wendy and the Lost Boys as the main characters.

Everyone in Alien: Earth, from Boy Kavalier to Hermit, connects to the Lost Boys. They are central to the film’s ideas and story, and are as significant to the other characters as the Xenomorphs. Alien: Earth represents the evolution of the Alien franchise, a shift that began with Prometheus, where synthetic humans are portrayed as major characters rather than simple tools for the plot.

I think Alien: Earth actually does a better job of making its synthetic characters feel central to the story than Prometheus did. David was a fun villain in Prometheus, but he mostly just carried out Weyland’s orders. He didn’t really start acting on his own until Covenant. What I loved about Alien: Earth is that the entire first season was focused on giving its synthetics their own motivations and letting them make their own choices.

Alien: Earth Deserved The Proper Ending That Prometheus Never Had

However, there’s a major difference between Alien: Earth and Prometheus: Earth has the potential to finish its story. As we know, Prometheus was intended as the first film in a planned prequel trilogy by Ridley Scott. The third movie, which would have followed Covenant and revealed the fate of David and the colonists, was unfortunately never made, leaving the trilogy incomplete.

Upcoming Alien Projects
Alien: Romulus Sequel
Alien: Earth season 2
Rumored Ridley Scott Alien movie

As a big fan of the Alien universe, I’m really glad there’s still a chance for Alien: Earth to get a satisfying ending. The first season left us on a huge cliffhanger, but thankfully, it’s already been renewed for a second season! While I don’t think season two will wrap everything up, the show definitely has some serious momentum right now. It feels like Alien: Earth could actually get a proper conclusion, which is something we didn’t get with Prometheus and Covenant, and that gives me hope.

The story begun in Alien: Earth really needs a conclusion, particularly since Prometheus never got one. This series has finally provided a well-received and understandable backstory for both the Weyland-Yutani corporation and the Xenomorphs, and it would be a shame not to finish telling that story. We already lost one attempt at an origin story with Prometheus and Covenant, and repeating that with Alien: Earth would be incredibly disappointing.

Read More

2025-11-15 20:41