The Fascinating Story of the Skinny Aliens from Men in Black

Introduction

The sci-fi comedy Men in Black features a wide variety of alien species, and the skinny alien worms are among the most memorable in MIB, but their backstory isn't that clear. Released in 1997 to rave reviews, Men in Black follows agents of a secret government organization who are tasked with preventing alien threats on planet Earth. Released at the height of Will Smith's movie stardom, MIB offers the perfect mixture of science fiction, action, and sidesplitting comedy. The first Men in Black was a hit at the box office, grossing almost $600 million (via Box Office Mojo), and spawned several sequels, a TV series, and a theme park attraction.

The skinny alien worms play twister with Laura (Rosario Dawson) in Men in Black II

World-building is perhaps the strongest part of the Men in Black franchise, and the universe that the movies take place in is populated with a wealth of fascinating alien species. The timeline and mythology of Men in Black are fleshed out through the various sequels and shows, and the species known as the worms, or the skinny aliens from MIB, are always part of the story in some way. Though most of the creatures shown on screen in the franchise are kept intentionally vague, the worms are given a significant amount of development, and these skinny aliens have an interesting potential connection to another massive science fiction franchise.

Several skinny alien worms in a kitchen pouring coffee in Men in Black

The Worms Are An Alien Species That Works At MIB Headquarters

Introduced in the first Men in Black movie as the catalyst for Agent J (Will Smith) coming to believe in aliens, the short, skinny, tubular creatures spend most of their time hanging around the MIB headquarters drinking coffee in the break room. Though their actual function in the office is never fully explained, they are obviously a peaceful alien race and willing to cooperate with Earth authorities, namely the MIB. The worms later became major figures in the animated spinoff, Men in Black: The Series, which fleshed out their backstory.

The animated Men in Black series explains that the worms chose to live on Earth because it freed them from the tyranny of their emperor, and they are primarily motivated by their love of coffee. They play a much larger role with 2002's Men in Black II characters, protecting Laura (Rosario Dawson) when she is on the run. The skinny aliens speak their own language but are also fluent in English, even flirting with Laura on several occasions, showing themselves to be quite cheeky. In 2012's Men in Black III, the worms play bagpipes at Chief Zed's (Rip Torn) funeral, as they were obviously very close to their fallen leader.

The Worms Have A Connection To The Star Wars Universe

While it's quite subtle, Men in Black references Star Wars and even seems to suggest that there is a connection between the worms and the legendary sci-fi franchise. Not only is Star Wars creator George Lucas shown as one of the many celebrities who is secretly an alien, but the worms also speak a language taken directly from his franchise. While they goof around in the break room, the skinny aliens can be heard speaking Huttese, the same language as Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi. Though it could be a mere homage, it also could suggest that Men in Black exists in the Star Wars universe.