As we’re nearing the end of summer film releases with Twisters and It Ends With Us, I think it’s time we make way for another important event: the release of Alien: Romulus.
If you didn’t know, Alien: Romulus is the latest installment in the Alien film franchise. It follows a group of young space colonists who — while in an abandoned space station — come face to face with a horrifying (and deadly) xenomorph. According to Time, the movie is a standalone film that also “serves as an homage to its predecessors” while directly connecting to the original Alien prequels, 2012’s Prometheus and 2017’s Alien: Covenant.
As someone who has grown up watching the Alien franchise, I can’t express how excited I am to see my generation take on the Facehuggers and Chestbursters in 2024’s next summer blockbuster. Maybe it’s seeing Cailee Spaeny fight off the xenomorphs while giving another iconic scream queen performance? Nonetheless, I will be sat for this film.
Speaking of the film’s stars, Alien: Romulus‘s cast is the youngest cast the franchise has ever had. But a vast majority of the actors are rising Gen Z stars you may be seeing more of after Alien: Romulus is released. Not gonna lie, I’m already obsessed with them.
Cailee Spaeny plays Rain Carradine.
We love a final girl moment, and Cailee Spaeny is here to serve. A rising talent in Hollywood, Spaeny began her career in 2018 as one of the lead actors in Pacific Rim: Uprising. Since then, Spaeny has appeared in projects such as Bad Times at the El Royale, The Craft: Legacy, and Devs.
Most might recognize her as Priscilla Presley in Sofia Coppola’s 2024 film Priscilla, which she received the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the 80th Venice Film Festival in 2023.
Spaeny is set to be one of the leads in the upcoming film Wake Up Dead Man, which is the third installment of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out series.
Not only is Spaeny a rising talent in Hollywood, but she’s also proving herself to be a blockbuster and indie favorite amongst Gen Z.
David Jonsson plays Andy.
In every Alien film, there is always a robot that helps the main characters. British actor David Jonsson plays Andy, an android built by Rain’s father to serve as Rain’s surrogate brother on the space station.
Jonsson currently stars in HBO’s Industry, playing young investment banker Gus Sackey. In 2023, Jonsson made his film debut in Raine Allen-Miller’s romcom Rye Lane, which was met with critical acclaim.
Not only is Jonsson an up-and-coming actor, but he’s also an up-and-coming screenwriter. Jonsson is set to write his debut television series titled Hype, which will center around four friends navigating East London as they are on the cusp of entering the fashion industry.
Isabela Merced plays Kay.
Isabela Merced began her career as a child actor and played the lead role in Nickelodeon’s 2014 series 100 Things To Do Before High School. After landing roles in 2016’s Legends of The Hidden Temple, 2017’s Transformers: The Last Knight, and 2019’s Let It Snow, Merced booked the lead of Dora in the 2019 film Dora and the Lost City of Gold.
In 2024, Merced starred as Aza, a 16-year-old high school student with obsessive-compulsive disorder, in the film adaptation of John Green’s Turtles All The Way Down.
Merced’s 2025 lineup is already stacked. Fans will be able to see her play Hawkgirl in James Gunn’s Superman and Dina in Season 2 of HBO’s The Last Of Us.
Archie Renaux plays Tyler.
You may have seen Archie Renaux in some of recent rom-coms, but the British actor has been working in the industry for quite some time.
Starting as a model, Renaux began his career working in fashion before making the jump into film. His breakout role was in Netflix’s Shadow and Bone, playing Mal Oretsev, an orphan tracker. Renaux also played a small role in Amazon’s Catherine Called Birdy.
Renaux proved himself to be a romcom leading man in 2023 and 2024. He played Miles in The Other Zoey and William in Upgraded, a modern-day telling of Cinderella, opposite Camila Mendes.
Spike Fearn plays Bjorn.
Another rising talent from Leicestershire, London, Spike Fearn began his career playing small roles in Matt Reeves’s The Batman, A24’s Aftersun, and Sweetheart. Since 2021, Fearn starred in ITV2’s Tell Me Everything, a series focusing on the inner lives of a group of 16 year olds in London as they navigate their mental health and sexualities.
Fearn also played Tyler James in Back To Black, a biopic detailing the life of late British singer Amy Winehouse.
Aileen Wu plays Navarro.
Aileen Wu is an actor and producer who has worked primarily on stage, performing in productions such as Lear and Here’s A Blue Morpho for You. Wu has also starred in short films like Skin and Closing Doors, but is making her feature debut in Alien: Romulus.
In an Aug. 12 interview with July Magazine, Wu spoke about Alien: Romulus being her first project and how excited she was to take on her first film. “It feels like everything that came before led up to this moment,” she said. Wu even gave insight into her character. “[She’s] incredibly loyal, doesn’t talk much, but keeps the peace between the family, [is] always down for an adventure.”
I’m so excited to see the Alien: Romulus cast take down those pesky Facehuggers, and where their careers will go from here.