'Alien: Covenant' Features First Canonical Gay Couple In 'Alien' Franchise

Hollywood movies are slowly including a lot more diverse characters when it comes to ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation, like the upcoming "Alien: Covenant". Two male members of the Covenant crew are seen sharing a kiss in the prologue video: Demian Bichir's Sergeant Lowe and Nathanial Dean's Hallett.

The "Alien: Covenant" trailer and "Last Supper" prologue video have made fans excited about the "Alien" prequel. It references the 1979 film, but also brings its own twists and story arc. One of the new things is the explicit inclusion of a gay couple. This is a first for the franchise, so Screen Rant talked to the actors about their characters.

"We are all couples on this ship, all kinds of couples, even men and men," Bichir said. All the members of the crew are partnered off, which is actually going to be part of a bigger plot in "Alien: Covenant". Nathanial Dean also said that the story does not capitalize on their relationship. It simply depicts a normal, loving relationship between two "badass soldiers".

The "Alien" franchise has a long history with flipping gender roles and stereotypes. In fact, the main character Ripley had an ambiguous gender, so it could have been played by either male or female actor. According to Collider, in "Alien: Covenant", Sergeant Lowe (Demian Bichir) is the one in charge of the military and security detail. His husband Sergeant Hallett (Nathaniel Dean) is one of his subordinates. Both characters are depicted as macho military types.

The "Alien: Covenant" film obviously has horror and action sequences, so viewers will be left wondering who will live and who will die. There will also be tension among the characters and couples. According to Dean, Hallett and Lowe won't always be in agreement, but that the two characters will prioritize their jobs over their relationship. The movie will be out on May 19, 2017.