Prometheus Sequel Dropped Its Name for Alien, Now It's Dropping Its Star Actress

This story contains spoilers for the original Prometheus.

Prometheus killed off most of its characters, and for its sequel, it won't be bringing back the actress who played one of its few survivors.

Noomi Rapace, who played Elizabeth Shaw, won't return to the role in upcoming sequel Alien: Covenant. Speaking with the Daily Mail (via Yahoo), director Ridley Scott was asked if Rapace is working on the movie, and he said no.

"We're still casting the main roles," he said.

Whether that means Michael Fassbender could be replaced as David is unclear. He was previously confirmed to be coming back for the movie, and it was widely assumed Rapace would be, too. Filming is set to begin later this year in Australia.

The news cycle surrounding the Prometheus sequel has been quite the whirlwind. After Scott originally referred to it as Prometheus 2, the movie's title was surprisingly changed to use the name of the Alien franchise, which Scott created and of which Prometheus is a prequel. Initially going by Alien: Paradise Lost, the name has since changed to Alien: Covenant. Meanwhile, the sequel to Alien set to be directed by Neil Blomkamp has been put on hold, but will reportedly still be produced.