I think returning actors usually kills it for me, in sequels. Not always. I can't imagine anyone other than Bruce Campbell playing Ash, for instance, or Judy Garland playing Dorothy. However, the idea where you have a returning character that continually makes it out alive and has adventure after adventure is kind of a tension-killer because it reminds the audience that said character is not going to die, is an integral part of the series. And when you build the series around the character, it can't exactly function without him or her, either. It feels like a design flaw as far as I'm concerned. And actors age, unfortunately. Arnold can't keep playing Conan. Daniel Craig won't be able to do Bond, forever. Sigourney can't do Ripley much longer.
Granted, in Alien, the characters were older, or appeared older than average--always a plus when defying expectations for the so-called pro-slasher film demographic. Sometimes in order for a film to work, you have to get the audience to think it's going to be one thing and then pleasantly (or not so pleasantly) surprise them.
The point is, young talent for the latest film is going to be inevitable. The fact that she's a pretty girl is just Hollywood, is just someone being cast based on her appearance. That's nothing new. Though I'm praying for the entire crew being expendable, including Ms. What's-her-face. She can come from good stock, but unless she's an executive officer on a fancy-ass ship, I'd like to think make-up and nice clothes should be secondary to the reality of essentially being a space trucker.
But look at me, getting ahead of myself. Is this going to be a retread of Alien, with space truckers being used to advance nefarious corporate agendas? Or is it going to be something a little different. Personally I love the "haunted house in space" approach. Gothic Horror is where this series excels. But there was so much good going for Alien based on some really ingenious tweaks to the formula while at the same time never losing what makes good science fiction/and horror each of those things respectively. It stayed grounded, but got clever, in spots, and defied audience expectations, and really was an artistic Renaissance for the genre that still resonates today. I hate to sound cynical but expecting that this time around when Ridley is completely in charge seems less likely. Though you never know.
