The Alien films are at their best when they feature a strong female protagonist overcoming the grotesque, chest-bursting galactic parasites and that's apparently where director Ridley Scott is returning with the introduction of Katherine Waterston's Daniels in his Prometheus-sequel/Alien-prequel. Waterston states, “You don’t really know what you’re made of until you’re tested," in describing her character's arc in the film. Personally, I can't think of a more difficult pop quiz than trying to figure out how to survive rapidly-reproducing aliens that use your body as an incubator.
The Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them actress further comments on the similarities between Daniels and Ripley, adding, "They are both able to somehow think clearly in really shocking, unimaginable scenarios. It’s fun to play someone who can thrive in that chaos.”
In real life, Waterston admits to being something of a scaredy-cat, having to close her eyes while watching the original Ridley sci-fi masterpieces. “I’m very squeamish. I’ve seen these movies many times, but I feel like I’ve barely seen any of the alien scenes because my eyes are usually covered.” It will be interesting to see if some of that terror makes its way into her performance as what appears to be a badass, machine gun-wielding space explorer.