As well as the holes with this that you have mentioned it would leave other points unanswered. Would he be just the ancestor of homo sapiens or also Home Erectus, Neanderthals and our other “relatives” who are genetically distinct?

This was made irrelevant to the story by the discovery later (if I understood correct) that the supermen they found on the planet were genetically “the same as us” i.e. as human as we are.

This raise the question that went unanswered in the film as to why these other human could had certain difference to us in their appearances- being huge, heavily muscular and athletic, unpigmented skin, hairless and so on.

I was reminded of a book I had as a kid in the 80s which was a sci-fi annual from several decades before that. It has a piece speculating how humans would look after a long time (centuries?) if we went to live on other planets where the environment was very different to Earth. It suggested we might became short, squat and strong if we lived on a planet with stronger gravity or taller and thinner if gravity was less. I don’t know if that suggestion is scientifically plausible. But presumably the type and amount of sunlight could significantly affect our skin appearance and the content of air, water and food could have a radical bodily affect too.

If you consider how different human beings can appear as a result of environmental factors on Earth, the diversity presumably could be multiplied many times if your environmental envelope is enlarged to include all the possible situations in other planets.

Likewise, as well as nature, we have (and no doubt could further in future) develop medicines, stimulants, implants and other technology that affect our growth, ageing and physical development in all respects.

One recalls the premise of the Space Marines in the Warhammer 40k universe: young males not fully grown recruited and taken to other worlds where a range of genetic enhancements, training, etc, turns them into physical and mental supermen. In fact, the scene where the superman gets onto the lifeboat and is then wrestling with the octopus-like alien that impregnates him was reminiscent (to me) of 40k artwork of a marine squaring up to a tyranid. I realise that the tyranids and genestealers were perhaps heavily inspired by Alien in appearance and M.O.

I interpret the information we were given in the film that the story is that we are human but there are humans on another planet. We are genetically the same but through some cause or another they are physically and technologically ahead of us.

The unanswered question is: why do they want to kill us?

Given that humans on Earth try to kill each other as often as they do it shouldn’t really be a surprise, the film-maker might say. Given the precedents from our own history should we not expect that these supermen would regard us as lesser vermin to be gotten rid of?

The further mystery, unless it is simply a question of sadism, is why try and kill us by, presumably, dropping all this biological material on Earth that will affect us all as it did the Prometheus crew who were exposed? These supermen could presumably design their own Deathstar? The sith are avowed sadists but when it comes to destroying a planet they get on and just “make it happen”

If the sequel is as mold-filling as you justifiably argue Prometheus is then I would hazard a guess that the sequel will reveal that the homicidal superman who want to go to Earth and kill us actually have some noble motive and will win our sympathy?

Or the heroine who heads of the find them really impresses them. She becomes one of them or even “their queen” (notice we have only seen males). I was tempted to speculate that perhaps they for some reason don’t have females. But presumably if that was the case Prometheus would have given us some silly “Tarzan sees Jane for the first time” type moment.

Or maybe i’m wrong if so what’s the point of that opening scene ?

My only point is that there isn’t a sort of curve ball where the curtain comes back and the mighty oz is just a man as that is what they were always looking for.

If, as I think you are implying, his genetic material forms the template of humanity, it’s a rather hokey concept that doesn’t make much sense (and rips off Star Trek apart from anything else). How are a few strands of DNA floating in a lake going to change the course of human evolution?

The reason I think the film is about people attempting to meet their creators is that the characters state that is their intention. Interminably. Not much of an interpretation on my part.

JB: I take your point about the Ten Commandments, but it isn’t really a film about “meeting God” in the sense that the other films I’ve cited are. Meeting the creator isn’t what drives the plot forward; escaping the clutches of the Egyptians is.

It’s the phenomenon of modern films that set up a premise then doesn’t even bother to even attempt to answer it’s own question or give you anything of substance to walk away with.
Filmmakers they think it’s simply profound to ask the question, to shine the light on a subject

…but it’s not it just leaves a hollow experience.

the closest it gets to even having something interesting to say is David’s dismissal of the desire to ask questions of your creator.