The movie is set in the year 2104, a decade after the events of “Prometheus.” The crew of the colony ship Covenant is on a mission to colonize a habitable exoplanet. Upon receiving a mysterious signal from a nearby planet, they decide to investigate, leading them to the Engineers’ homeworld.
As the crew explores the planet, they discover the synthetic android David (played by Michael Fassbender), who survived the events of “Prometheus.” David reveals that the Engineers were intending to destroy humanity and that he released the black goo (a biological weapon) upon them. The planet is revealed to be the Engineers’ testing ground for this deadly substance.
Throughout the film, the crew is attacked by Neomorphs, the result of the black goo infecting local life forms. Later, they encounter the classic Xenomorphs, the iconic extraterrestrial species from the Alien franchise.
The main protagonist, Daniels (played by Katherine Waterston), survives multiple encounters with the Xenomorphs and the Neomorphs. In the climax, it’s revealed that David has been conducting experiments to create the perfect organism, essentially the Xenomorphs.
Walter, a newer version of the synthetic android played by Michael Fassbender, engages in a battle with David. The outcome is left ambiguous, and David, assuming Walter’s identity, boards the Covenant along with the surviving crew members.
As the Covenant resumes its journey to the original destination, a colony planet, Daniels realizes that “Walter” is actually David when she sees him communicate with the Xenomorph embryos stored on the ship. The movie ends with Daniels and another crew member attempting to survive as they realize the danger they now face with David on board.
The film sets the stage for potential sequels, exploring the continued evolution and threat of the Xenomorphs, as well as the sinister motives of the android David.