• How to Watch the Alien Movies in Chronological Order

    The Xenomorph from the Alien film franchise is one of the coolest, most nefarious movie monsters ever hatched, with its acid blood, mouths-within-mouths, and diabolical claws. It pretty much single-handedly (and multi-teethily) invented the space horror genre and gave an entire generation a new boogeyman to fear.

    We haven't had a new Alien movie since 2017's Alien: Covenant, though the most recent news has Fargo and Legion's Noah Hawley developing an Alien TV series for FX – primed to be set in the not so distant future and set on Earth. With this in mind, you may be wanting to do a full rewatch of the Alien franchise (including the Alien/Predator films, which are set on Earth).

    But what's the correct order to watch them in? We've got you covered. Below you'll find full listings for the Alien movies, in both chronological and theatrical release orders.

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    Alien Movies in (Chronological) Order

    1. AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)

    Where to Watch: Hulu, or rentable on most platforms.

    The story of the Xenomorphs begins, time-wise, in the first of the two crossover films for the franchise, AVP. Set in 2004, Alien vs. Predator, from Resident Evil/Event Horizon's Paul W. S. Anderson, brought to life a "battle of the titans" concept that first originated in a 1989 comic. In the film, humans discover that Predators (aka the "Yautja") have been coming to Earth for thousands of years. Old cults worshipping them would sacrifice themselves to a Xenomorph Queen's brood — the facehuggers — producing adult Xenomorphs, so the Predators could hunt the "ultimate prey." Sufficed to say, things go badly during the Predators' 2004 hunting trip.

    2. Aliens vs Predator: Requiem (2007)

    Where to Watch: Hulu, Cinemax Go, or rentable on most platforms.

    Still set in our modern times, and therefore still happening before everything else in the Alien franchise, crossover sequel Aliens vs Predator: Requiem picks up right where AVP left off. An Alien-Predator hybrid — the "Predalien" — is now on the loose in a small Colorado town. A skilled, veteran Predator arrives to help clean up the mess and an ample amount of carnage ensues. This would be the final crossover film of the Alien franchise.

    3. Prometheus (2012)

    Where to Watch: Hulu, Freevee, or rentable on most platforms.

    Oscar-winning director Ridley Scott returned to the franchise he created in 1979 with the star-studded prequel film, Prometheus. Here, in the late 21st Century, Peter Weyland (presumedly a descendant of AVP's Charles Weyland) funds a cosmic trip into the unknown, following a star map left on Earth that might lead the crew of the Prometheus to the beings who created humankind. Sadly, the crew also stumbles across these creators' bio-weapon — the Xenomorph. Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, and Charlize Theron star.

    Read our review of Prometheus.

    4. Alien: Covenant (2017)

    Where to Watch: Rentable on most platforms.

    Still in prequel mode here, as Alien: Covenant is a sequel to Prometheus, the story picks up 11 years later and follows a colonization ship. The crew gets pulled out of stasis years early and heads to a different target planet, a possible "utopia," to track down a distress signal. The downed ship emitting the message, however, is connected to the previous movie and contains all sorts of sinister things — ranging from Xenomorphs to androids. The film doesn't exactly take us up to the doorstep of 1979's Alien, as there's room for more story if deemed so, but it does get us close. Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Demián Bichir, and a returning Michael Fassbender star.

    Read our review of Alien: Covenent.

    5. Alien (1979)

    Where to Watch: Starz apps and add-ons, or rentable on most platforms.

    Space would never feel the same after Ridley Scott's landmark horror film, Alien, which featured the hardscrabble crew of a commercial space tug, the Nostromo, accidentally discovering a moon full of Xenomorph eggs. With no knowledge of what these creatures are or how they cocoon inside humans before bursting out and rapidly growing into killing machines, these underpaid workers — played by Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto, and hero-in-the-making Sigourney Weaver — find themselves going toe-to-toe with a cosmic nightmare.

    Aliens also made our list of one of the best Sci-Fi movies of all time.

    6. Aliens (1986)

    Where to Watch: Starz apps and add-ons, or rentable on most platforms.

    Terminator director James Cameron, before creating his own landmark sequel with T2: Judgment Day, gifted us with Aliens, taking the slow-boil brutality of the Ridley Scott original and ramping it up into a full-tilt masterpiece. Sigourney Weaver, returning as Ellen Ripley, would solidify herself as an action hero icon in this thrilling, endlessly-quotable film that would introduce the world to idea of space marines AND space marines getting their asses kicked, pal! Aliens would handily feature more than one Xenomorph (hence the plural title) as well as stars Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Paul Reiser, Lance Henriksen (who would play Charles Weyland decades later in AVP) and Carrie Henn.

    7. Alien 3 (1992)

    Where to Watch: Starz apps and add-ons, or rentable on most platforms.

    An appreciation for Alien 3 eventually bubbled up over the past 30 years but at the time David Fincher's directorial debut (three years before Se7en) would be deemed thin, grim, and, essentially, disappointing regarding Ripley's story (despite it giving us one of the most iconic images from the franchise, seen above). Alien 3 picks up right where Aliens left off, as the Colonial Marine spaceship, the Sulaco, is destroyed from within by a Xenomorph and an escape pod carries Ripley to a planet housing a penal colony. There, she and the inmates must deal with a rampaging alien before it massacres them all.

    8. Alien Resurrection (1997)

    Where to Watch: Starz apps and add-ons, or rentable on most platforms.

    The final film in the Ripley Saga, Alien Resurrection, hurls us 200 years beyond the events of Aliens and Alien 3 and into the inner workings of a military project aboard the USM Auriga that uses Ellen Ripley clones (and kidnapped humans) to try and successfully breed Xenomorphs. The City of Lost Children and Amélie's Jean-Pierre Jeunet directs this bizarrely-horrific chapter with cartoonish flare, casting Ron Perlman, Dan Hedaya, J. E. Freeman, Brad Dourif, and Michael Wincott as the story's new space grunts. The film ends with a possible tease of Xenomorphs headed to Earth, though we'd never get that story as a follow up (only in crossover prequel form with AVP).

    How to Watch the Alien Movies by Release Date

    If you're looking to watch all the movies in theatrical release order, the correct list is below:

    • Alien (1979)
    • Aliens (1986)
    • Alien 3 (1992)
    • Alien Resurrection (1997)
    • AVP: Alien vs Predator (2004)
    • Aliens vs Predator – Requiem (2007)
    • Prometheus (2012)
    • Alien: Covenant (2017)

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    Three New Black Panther LEGO Sets Tease Wakanda Forever Story

    Marvel’s new Black Panther may have been revealed in some new LEGO sets.

    After the recent Wakanda Forever trailer, one question was on everyone’s mind — who was teased as the new Black Panther at the end of the clip?

    A trio of LEGO sets has just been unveiled, giving us a glimpse at some of the new heroes due to appear in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. And there’s one minifigure, in particular, that might give the game away.

    The Shuri’s Sunbird #76211 set features three minifigures — Shuri (Letitia Wright), Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), and War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o). And it looks as though Shuri is featured wearing a version of the Black Panther suit.

    This version is complete with Shuri’s signature arm blasters and a suit that resembles the one seen in the Wakanda Forever trailer… albeit with a touch more purple.

    Shuri is featured heavily in the new sets, also appearing as a minifigure in King Namor’s Throne Room #76213 as well as, obviously, Shuri’s Lab #76212.

    The fact that Shuri features so heavily across these sets is also a bit of a giveaway – featuring the film’s main hero across its set is a sure sign that Shuri is a leading candidate to be the new Black Panther we glimpsed in the trailer.

    The sets also give us another look at Namor the Submariner, played in Wakanda Forever by Tenoch Huerta. This impressive set depicts Namor’s throne — a shark-jaw spectacle that’s reminiscent of the sarlacc Star Wars set released a few years ago.

    This set also gives us a closer look at Attuma and his armor, as seen in the recent action figures.

    Black Panther stars Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Winston Duke, Danai Gurira, Florence Kasumba, Lupita Nyong’o, Martin Freeman, Dominique Thorne, and Tenoch Huerta.

    Ryan Coogler directed the film based on a script he co-wrote with Joe Robert Cole.

    Want to find out more about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever? Check out how the comic books handled a Black Panther without T’Challa, as well as a look at every film and TV show involved in the Multiverse Saga.

    Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

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    Fantastic Four Won’t Be an Origin Story, Kevin Feige Says

    Marvel’s upcoming Fantastic Four film won’t retread their origin story.

    During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel boss Kevin Feige explained that the Fantastic Four film will be a story we’ve never seen before.

    “A lot of people know this origin story,” he said. “A lot of people know the basics. How do we take that and bring something that they’ve never seen before?”

    Of course, we’ve seen the team’s origins twice on the big screen already. Headed up by Reed Richards, a team consisting of Sue Storm, her brother Johnny, and Ben Grimm become the Fantastic Four – usually as the result of a failed space mission that exposes the crew to cosmic rays.

    The 2005 Fantastic Four film saw Ioan Gruffudd take the role of Mr. Fantastic, alongside Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, and Michael Chiklis, and brought the group’s origin story to our screens.

    A reboot retold their story in 2015 starring Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, and Jamie Bell. But while it gave us a very different twist on the group’s origins, especially when it came to the film’s villain and regular nemesis Doctor Doom, it still showcased the team’s transformations.

    But now, Marvel wants to skip over this part to bring its first family back into the fold… and Feige explained that they have high expectations due to the team’s comic book pedigree.

    “We’ve set a very high bar for ourselves with bringing that to the screen,” he said.

    Making their comic book debut in 1961, the Fantastic Four was Marvel’s first ever superhero team.

    But I can’t help thinking that assuming everyone knows their story is a bit of a stretch.

    After all, it’s been 7 years since the critically panned reboot and 17 years since the original Fox version of Fantastic Four debuted in theaters. Will audiences really remember the Fantastic Four origins well enough to pull off their own Spider-Man: Homecoming?

    For now, we’ll have to wait and see. But a decent retelling of the group’s origins could be exactly what fans really want to see.

    Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

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    Ex-CDPR Devs Found New Studio, Working on Online Ninja Game

    Former CD Projekt Red developer Jakub Ben has formed a new studio called Dark Passenger. The studio’s staff has worked on cinematics for games such as Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077.

    Ben is a co-founder of Dark Passenger, along with Pawel Kuleta as the COO and Magdalena Furman as a 3D character animator. Currently, the studio is looking to hire for many roles including gameplay programmer, tech artist, environmental artist, and sound designer.

    The studio’s first game is a multiplayer online game set in Feudal Japan one built using Unreal Engine 5 that includes co-op, PVP, and PVE. It tells the story of an invader that overthrew the ruling shogun and established a new throne.

    “Our goal is to create highly exciting online games that focus on both cooperation and competition. We are fascinated by human interactions, alliances, daring confrontations, and unexpected twists,” says Dark Passenger on its website.

    “To make each game unique and surprising, we use many procedural solutions. Although all players will have the same goal, each time it will require changing tactics and moving different paths.”

    According to the studio's website, Players assume the role of shinobi and kunoichi where they will face the ruler’s underlings and other assassins as they search for powerful mysterious artifacts. Players have multiple ways to traverse the land, such as running on city rooftops, climbing pagodas, and sneaking through shrines and temples. There will also be various social classes for characters, all the way from simple villagers to high nobles and samurai.

    There is a character customization system where players can create their own unique characters and modify their equipment. Various weapons including katanas, tanto, and shurikens will be available. Players can also build their own dojo and invite their friends to train together.

    Dark Passenger follows several other new studios formed by former CDPR developers including Rebel Wolves, formed by former Cyberpunk 2077 co-director, and Covenant, which announced a dark strategy game called Gord.

    No release window for this game has been revealed for Dark Passenger's new game, but the official website lists that it will come to PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, as well as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

    George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey

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    Ms. Marvel Actor Might be Arguing Fan Theories With You on Reddit

    Marvel fans on Reddit better keep their wits about them. Iman Vellani, star of Disney+’s Ms. Marvel, revealed in an interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers that she takes to Reddit to discuss fan theories with fans of the show.

    “I’m not present on social media publicly, but I do have a lot of private accounts, especially on Reddit,” Vellani, who plays Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, told Meyers. “Just, like, arguing with people about theories, I’m like ‘You don’t even know what’s coming, man! You’re so wrong!’ It’s so liberating.”

    As a huge fan of the MCU, it makes sense Vellani would take to the internet to see what people are saying about the show, its narrative, and her character. Just be careful as the person you might be arguing fan theories with might actually know a lot more than you.

    She also revealed during the interview how she had to stay cool and keep her casting under wraps after a zoom call while sitting in her friend’s driveway. That moment even appears to be featured in the show’s teaser trailer.

    Earlier this year, the full trailer for the series was released, and it gave us a look at some of the key differences from the comic. The series’s first season is now out in its entirety. We gave the first season an 8/10 in our review and said that “Vellani lights up the screen as the newest addition to the MCU” and “greatly [balances] a coming-of-age and superhero origin story.”

    If you’re all caught up on the series, be sure to check out our interview with the showrunners as they dive deep into everything Ms. Marvel.

    Casey is a freelance writer for IGN. You can usually find him talking about JRPGs on Twitter at @caseydavidmt.

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