More specifically, Theron points to Sigourney Weaver's portrayal of Ripley in Scott's 1979 classic, Alien. Muses the actress, “I do think that Ridley Scott really was the first person who took full advantage of how you could explore not only that genre but themes that I think only men in cinema had been allowed to explore. And the great thing about him is that I think it lives under his skin. I think.”
Anyone who has seen the Comic-Con footage that was shown of Prometheus will agree that it definitely has a very strong Alien-like vibe to it, and that Theron absolutely seems to be portraying a character that has the same kind of strength that drove Ripley.