Noomi Who? Ten Actresses To Play The Heroine In 'Alien: Covenant'

Whilst Alien Day (April 26) gave us a whole smörgåsbord of titbits on the future of the Alien franchise, one of the most interesting pieces of information to come after was an update on the sequel to 2012's Prometheus.

A new image of a jazzy white uniform with the Weyland-Yutani corp badge sewn onto it indicates that yet another crew may meet a bloody end at the hands of the iconic double-mouthed aliens. 20th Century Fox recently revealed a synopsis for the 2017 film:

Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created in Alien with Alien: Covenant, the second chapter in a prequel trilogy that began with Prometheus - and connects directly to Scott's 1979 seminal work of science fiction.Bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, the crew of the colony ship Covenant discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world - whose sole inhabitant is the 'synthetic' David (Michael Fassbender), survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition.

When we last left David the synthetic, he was bound for the Engineer's homeworld with Noomi Rapace's Dr. Elizabeth Shaw in tow. It is no secret that Rapace is not returning for Covenant, so how they write out Dr. Shaw is anyone's guess. No Rapace means no heroine (a staple of any Alien film); set way before the events of Alien, there are no hopes of a Sigourney Weaver cameo, she is just a twinkle in a Xenomoprh's eye. You need a bad ass attitude, some form of leather and a love of having you ass kicked! So with this in mind, who could replace both Rapace and Weaver for the sci-fi franchise?

Tilda Swinton

Where have I seen her? We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Chronicles of Narnia, Constantine

The sparkly white Covenant uniforms seem to indicate a bit of a 2001: A Space Odyssey - we are imagining a much more high-tech ship than Prometheus. The religious symbol also suggests some sort of higher power or science element. I don't know about you, but the image of a bald Tilda Swinton in the upcoming Doctor Strange has me clamoring for her involvement. With her piercing stare and intense performances, Tilda could easily play a religious nut leading the Covenant crew on a suicide mission. Alternatively with her pale skin, Tilda could make the perfect Engineer/Human hybrid!

Saoirse Ronan

Where have I seen her? The Grand Budapest Hotel, Hanna, The Lovely Bones

Too young, too sweet? Think again. Saoirse Ronan would add the timid and innocent element to the film, but ultimately be the sole survivor. The 22-year-old actress could have a final act of turning into a total badass Xeneomorph basher - after all, who thought Ripley would be the only survive of the Nostromo? Recreate the alien 'stomper' scene from Aliens and stick Ronan in a pair of Reebok high-tops with a flame-thrower. Everyone thought Noomi Rapace was the dark horse of Prometheus until she ripped a baby alien out of her stomach, stapled herself together and then jumped a gorge. For those still not convinced, check out Ronan as a deadly child assassin in 2011's underrated gem Hanna.

Scarlett Johansson

Where have I seen her? The Avengers, Lost in Translation, Lucy

Whilst Johansson and Tilda Swinton are currently embroiled in 'whitewashing' scandals, we know she certainly has the balls to take on anything. Anyone who can calm down The Incredible Hulk probably won't be scared of an Alien Queen or a chest-burster. The only woman to be named as "FHM's Sexist Woman" twice, Johansson can add the 'sex-factor' back to the franchise given Charlize Theron's untimely demise in Prometheus. Her recent roles in the likes of Lucy and now as Major Motoko Kusanagi in The Ghost in the Shell are pushing the actress ever more into the action female role...can everyone say Sigourney?

Rachel Weisz

Where have I seen her? The Mummy, The Bourne Legacy, Oz the Great and the Powerful

The Mrs. Daniel Craig has come a long way from her hammy days alongside Brendan Fraser in the Mummy franchise. Her entrance into film was actual in 1994's Death Machine , so why not return to the genre? Her other leading lady roles include Constantine and The Lovely Bones, ironically as Saoirse Ronan's mother. Why not pair the two back together? Often overlooked in acting circles, if you want to see how intense Weisz is, was her as a cold-hearted resident of the eerie hotel in last year's cult film The Lobster.

Sonequa Martin-Green

Where have I seen her? The Walking Dead, Once Upon a Time

For powerful women from AMC's The Walking Dead, it would be easy to pick Katana swinging Michonne, but for this choice, we are thinking outside the box. Sonequa Martin-Green has portrayed the hard-done-by Sasha for three seasons of the zombie-romp. During that time she has lost, her brother, had her lover partially eaten by cannibals and now faces a wire-wrapped baseball bat to the head. What adds Martin-Green to the list is her character progression - from chirpy member of the group to stoic sniper; often putting herself in reckless situations and acting without thinking. Sound's like she is psychologically prepped for a trip into an outer-space alien nest then.

Julie Dreyfus

Where have I seen her? Kill Bill, Inglorious Basterds

A favourite of Quentin Tarantino, could Ridley Scott be the latest to adopt the French/Japanese actress? Always playing a mega-bitch, she has that stare which can easily shoot down an opposing crew members wishes aboard Covenant. We rarely see Dreyfus play a 'nice role', and it wouldn't surprise me if you cut her open and she bled alien acid. In terms of casting, she would make a wonderful female cyborg mate for David, or alternatively an evil computer generated ship's computer - think The Red Queen from Resident Evil.

Gwendoline Christie

Where have I seen her? Game of Thrones, Star Wars: The Force Awakens

When she isn't chopping up Lannisters in Game of Thrones, or being trash compacted in Star Wars, Gwendoline Christie is a pretty imposing presence. At 6 ft 3 in we see a military leader/mercenary role for the graceful giant. Her extensive action scenes also mean she is more than matched for a face-off with a face-hugger, or any of the alien induced carnage which is sure to befall Covenant crew. The only worry is that she wouldn't fit in the ventilation shaft for a speedy escape.

Elizabeth Mitchell

Where have I seen her? LOST, Revolution.

As the blonde bombshell, Dr. Juliet Burke, in ABC's LOST, we never quite warmed to Elizabeth Mitchell. To be fair Noomi Rapace and Charlize Theron's portrayal in Prometheus didn't exactly fill you with a warm fuzzy feeling either, so why not carry on the theme as a ruthless female. More suited to television work, Mitchell gets to flex her big screen muscles in this year's Purge: Election Year. We may have only seen the trailer, but it looks that the actress can certainly handle herself with a blade- plus she has that constantly puzzled look which every Alien film actor needs.

Michelle Rodriguez

Where have I seen her? Fast & Furious films, Resident Evil, Avatar

Whilst on the subject of LOST, it is a surprise that feisty Michelle Rodriguez's name hasn't popped up already. Once tipped to star alongside Sigourney Weaver in an all female version of The Expendables, the actress made her breakout as a tough female boxer in Girlfight. Who remembers spunky Private First Class Jenette Vasquez in 1986's Aliens? What if Rodriguez's character was some distant relative of Vasquez? All she would need is a red bandanna and good to go. No stranger to a tough-guy role, Rodriguez plays a badass in everything from the Fast & Furious films, to Machete and even Resident Evil. EW described her as:

Arguably the most iconic actress in the action genre, as well as one of the most visible Latinas in Hollywood.

'Nuff said!

Charlize Theron

Where have I seen her? Prometheus (duh)

Just going to put it out there...bring back Charlize! I know, she was crushed to death by a falling ship at the end of Prometheus, but the girl needs another chance. Theron's death in the final act has to go down as one of THE worst deaths in cinematic history, if only she had run to the side?! Prometheus on the whole was a mixed bag of a film, but the majority can agree that Meredith Vickers was a stand-out performance of the film. A ruthless bitch who wasn't above getting drunk and seducing the crew. What's more Vickers had the biological connection to Guy Pearce's Peter Weyland (founder of the Weyland-Yutani corp). For those who dare to question how Vickers could return...let's break it down.

At the end of Alien3 we saw Sigourney Weaver's Ripley plunge into a vat of molten metal, only to resurface 200 years later in Alien:Resurrection. Whilst separate, we know that the Prometheus films and the Alien films exist in the same universe. Given Convenant's synopsis, it is looking like David is ever-increasingly the sole survivor from Prometheus. It must get pretty lonely surrounded by all that alien tech when you are just a severed robot head. A bored David could turn his hand to cloning and voila...shake and bake Meredith Vickers. A pipe dream I know, but one can hope!