"Alien: Covenant" is set to bridge the gap between the events of 2012's "Prometheus" and the original 1979 "Alien." One of the few returning cast members from "Prometheus" is Michael Fassbender but he has now confirmed he is not just playing the android David.
Fassbender explained that he would also be playing an android named Walter. While this android will have the same design as David it will be programmed differently and therefore have a different behaviour in comparison to the older unit.
"David was definitely a work-in-progress, somewhat of a prototype I suppose," Fassbender told Coming Soon. "The elements of him that were the human elements I think people found a little disturbing, so Walter's more of a straightforward robot. Pretty logical, much more of a servant without the ego."
David will be still appearing in the film, as the sole survivor of the Prometheus crew from the previous film. The last time audiences saw David he was just a head as his robotic body was destroyed and abandoned.
Noomi Rapace's character, Elizabeth Shaw, is also set to appear but it is highly rumoured she is only going to be in flashbacks or video log files. No images or teaser clips showcasing her character have yet been released.
According to Cinema Blend, Walter may be more similar to the Bishop (Lance Henriksen) seen in "Aliens" while the original David unit is more similar to the scheming Bishop unit in "Alien 3." The former was a unit that aided the protagonists while the latter was working solely for the Weyland-Yutani Corporation.
"Alien: Covenant" will focus on the crew of a ship as they travel to a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, believing it to be a lost paradise. They soon discover it is a dangerous world where the only resident is the synthetic android, David, the sole survivor of the Prometheus expedition.
The film will also star Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride, Demian Bichir, Jussie Smolett, Amy Seimetz, Carmen Ejogo, Callie Hernandez and Billy Crudup. James Franco is also starring as the captain of the titular Covenant ship.
"Alien: Covenant" releases on May 19, 2017.