Though it broke new ground for cinematic, narrative-driven video games upon its 2013 debut, The Last of Us wasn't a wholly original project. In fact, a few different Naughty Dog developers have talked openly about The Last of Us' biggest influences, with Ico, Alan Weisman's The World Without Us, and even Planet Earth all being cited frequently as major inspirations for the original 2013 game's story and world.
But with The Last of Us and its sequel becoming some of the most acclaimed video games of the last decade, the tables have turned, and The Last of Us is now acting as the inspiration for new pieces of media. The recently released Alien: Romulus is the perfect example of this, with its own story being inspired by a key Last of Us Part 2 element. And with Alien being such an influential series in its own right, it might be fun to see it get a reference or two in the next Last of Us project.
The Last of Us Should Return Alien: Romulus' Favor
Alien: Romulus' Connection to The Last of Us Explained
Back at the end of August – about a week after Alien: Romulus first hit theaters – director Fede Alvarez took to Twitter to reply to a fan asking if he'd already played The Last of Us. Alvarez confirmed that he was actually in the process of playing The Last of Us Part 2 while writing Alien: Romulus, and that the character of Dina inspired him to include a pregnant character in Romulus.
This connection between Alien: Romulus and The Last of Us Part 2 has an even more intriguing layer, as Alvarez cast Isabela Merced to play Kay in Alien: Romulus, the character directly inspired by The Last of Us' Dina. Just a year later, Merced was cast as Dina for HBO's The Last of Us Season 2.
The Last of Us Should Feature an Alien Reference
With The Last of Us and Alien: Romulus now having a surprisingly deep connection, it might be nice to see the classic Sci-Fi franchise receive a reference of its own in the next Last of Us project. Season 2 of HBO's Last of Us show will be the next TLOU project out the door, and it'd be the perfect place for a subtle Alien Easter egg. This Easter egg could be as simple as a poster of the original 1979 movie on a wall, to something a bit more intricate, like a chase sequence that uses similar camera techniques to Alien: Romulus' standout Facehugger containment breach scene.
If The Last of Us Season 2 wanted to make a much more overt homage to Alien: Romulus, then it could replicate the sequence in which Isabela Merced's Kay is being stalked by the Xenomorph, but replace the hulking alien with a Clicker. There are also plenty of opportunities for the next Last of Us game to reference Alien, with some in-game collectibles like a Xenomorph action figure or comic book being two simple but effective Easter egg possibilities.
