Alien: Earth took the iconic sci-fi horror franchise in an ambitious new direction, not only daring to finally fulfill decades of teases of an Earth-bound story, but bringing the franchise to television for the first time in its 46-year history. In an age when corporations steer the course of humanity, a vessel's disastrous return to Earth holds the potential to reshape the universe. However, one new addition to the franchise left the franchise's original creator wary.
During New York Comic Con 2025, Alien: Earth producer David W. Zucker was joined by stars Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Samuel Blenkin, and Babu Ceesay to break down the first season with Collider's Perri Nemiroff, When asked whether they will take any lessons from season 1's production and response into the production of the next season, Zucker stated that one particular point that stood out was the challenge of introducing four new alien species alongside the iconic Xenomorph.
Zucker explained that both he and Alien director Ridley Scott recognized that not only would bringing the Xenomorph to the small screen in a way where audiences would find it authentic be a great challenge, but that doing the same for the four other species aboard the Maginot would be a "tall order" for Hawley and the crew behind the series.
"I remember Ridley said this to me," Zucker recalled. "It's one thing to build one creature. To be able to conceive of four more fresh creatures, and be able to have not only some sense of what their expression, their lifecycle, all that we will come to discover about them, but then to be able to manifest them onscreen in a convincing way? That's a tall order."
In the face of this challenge, Zucker revealed that they ultimately recognized that even if the visual effects and production design did not land with audiences, the audiences would still remain invested based on the strength of the writing and performances of the cast. Nevertheless, the producer made sure to conclude by praising the hard work of the visual effects artists in bringing the Alien franchise to the small screen.
The Alien franchise is no stranger to new species entering the fray, having shared the screen with fellow sci-fi horror monster, the Yautja, in 2004's Alien vs. Predator and 2007's Alien vs. Predator: Requiem. However, Alien: Earth marks the first major effort in the franchise to expand its own biodiversity, while also ensuring each new creature has a unique identity. Alongside the Xenomorph, the vessel carried an unnamed metal-destroying insect, the carnivorous D. PLumbicare plant-like organism, the parasitic blood-drinking Species 19, and the skull-burrowing Trypanohyncha Ocellus.
Despite being a far cry from the big chap that put the franchise on the map, as well as the many Xenomorph variants that followed, I feel that Alien: Earth's new species were exactly what the franchise needed. It expands the universe with creative beings that are just as lethal in their own right. Alien: Earth's story will inevitably see the Weyland-Yutani corporation become fixated on the Xenomorphs, but these other species add new layers to the familiar incoming formula, most notably with T. Ocellus' surprising sentience that sets up its own personal quest.
While these creatures are an excellent addition to the mythos, it can be argued that the Xenomorph's television debut had some complications. While the "Bear" Xenomorph costume is spectacularly crafted and actor Cameron Brown gives his all to portray the creature, there are moments in which I felt it was more obvious that it was a costume when compared to past entries. None of this should be held against the cast and crew, however, as even in modern Hollywood, there are large differences between the kinds of resources available for TV and film productions.
Currently, Alien: Earth has yet to be renewed for a second season. With the series having concluded on September 23, Hawley stated that he expects a decision on the series' future to be made in the "next couple of months" once clearer viewership details have been compiled. Though a renewal has yet to be given, the showrunner has previously stated that he had ideas for a multi-season story arc that will lead directly into the events of Alien.
As of Alien: Earth season 1's conclusion, Chandler's hybrid Wendy is expected to return after reuniting with her long-lost brother Joe Hermit (Lawther). We last saw Wendy imprisoning Prodigy CEO Boy Cavalier (Blenkin) and Weyland-Yutani cyborg Morrow (Ceesay) in the island's cell, declaring that she and the other surviving hybrids are now in control while the facility faces an impending invasion by Weyland-Yutani forces.
It is expected that all four stars who joined Zucker at New York Comic Con will return alongside Essie Davis, Adarsh Gourav, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Jonathan Ayaji, Timothy Olyphant, and Sandra Yi Sencindiver. David Rhysdale is also expected to return despite the death of his character, Arthur Sylvia, after hosting a Chestburster, as his corpse has now become the host of the T. Ocellus specimen.
All eight episodes of Alien: Earth are streaming on Hulu and Disney+.