Predator: Badlandsis just a few months away, and the franchise may have already given a major hint about how the upcoming sequel is going to end. The movie, which takes place several years in the future and followsan outcast Predator named Dek, will be directed by franchise regular Dan Trachtenberg and stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi.
There are countlesstheories about whatPredator: Badlandswill be about, asthe studio has released very little information about the narrativeitself. The most logical place to look for information is Trachtenberg’s previousPredatormovies, which seem to shed some light on the director’s plans for this long-running sci-fi franchise.
Predator: Badlands Could End With Thia And Dek Going To The Yautja Arena
Although very few details have actually been confirmed aboutBadlands’ story, there are certain details that seem to elucidate what’s going on in this unconventionalPredatorsequel. Not only does the plot seemingly tie in with theAlienuniverse, but it also flips the typicalPredatorformula on its head byhaving Dek, the titular Yautja, serve as thehuntedrather than thehunter.
For a long-running franchise, it does an excellent job of making sure that no two sequels are the same. 2022’sPreytook the series to a whole new time and place, and thenPredator: Killer of Killersoffered a look at the Yautja in animated form.The series is clearly moving in a new direction, and this interconnected creativity could have an impact onPredator: Badlands’ story.
Theending ofPredator: Killer of Killersoffered a game-changing twist that suggests many of the recent sequels could be more tightly connected than they initially seem. As the film’s protagonists escape from the Yautja homeworld, a group of Predators retreat into a scientific facility and reveal several cryogenically frozen warriors whom they’re saving for their gladiatorial arena, including Naru fromPrey.
This seemingly proves that Trachtenberg’s recentPredatorsequels have an overarching narrative that could ultimately bring all these separate characters together.The director has neither confirmed nor denied that this is his intentionfor the franchise, but the possibility opens some exciting doors forPredator: Badlands.
If Trachtenberg is indeed planning on bringing all these protagonists together in the future, the most logical way to achieve this is by sending Thia and Dek to the Yautja arena at the end ofPredator: Badlands. We already know that Naru is there, and it probably wouldn’t take much for the Yautja to catch up with Ursa, Torres, and Kenji and bring them back.
Ever sincethe events ofPredators,the lore of this sci-fi universe has been shifting and changing with every new installment. Every filmmaker has their own vision for the franchise, butonly Trachtenberg has stuck around long enough for that interconnectivity to actually come to light. It would be a huge waste ifPredator: Badlandsended without setting the stage for a team-up movie in the future.
Thia’s Capture Could Set Up Another Alien Vs Predator Movie
Incidentally, this potential team-up movie wouldn’t be the first crossover event in thePredatorfranchise.The long-running sci-fi series famously collided with Ridley Scott’sAlienfranchise back in 2004 forAlien vs Predator, which was met with poor reviews at the time but has since been praised for its ambition and bold storytelling.
There have been plenty of theories supposing thatBadlandswill secretly be anAlien vs Predatormovie, and while that seems unlikely at this point,anAlien vs Predatorreboot feels very plausiblefor the future. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely to be the 2025 movie since the studio would want to take advantage of the crossover and use it in the film’s marketing.
But it seems much more likely thatTrachtenberg is merely using this project to set up a potentialAlien vs Predatorin the future, using Thia’s Weyland-Yutani background to bring the conglomerate into conflict with this outcast Yautja tribe. Fans have been very skeptical since 2004 that such a crossover could actually work, but there’s never been a more opportune moment than now.
With Trachtenberg breathing new life into thePredatorfranchise through projects likeBadlandsandKiller of Killers, and theAlienfranchise also seeing a resurgence throughAlien: RomulusandAlien: Earth,the two series are more popular today than either has been for several decades. It really feels like anAlien vs Predatormovie could work, and having a Weyland-Yutani android captured by the Yautja sets the scene perfectly.
The tech company probably wouldn’t be willing to travel all the way to the Yautja homeworld for the sake of a single android, but the mere fact that these two franchises are interacting with each other again is brilliant news. After thecritical failure ofAlien vs Predator, it really felt like we’d never see them come together again.
One of the biggest problems withAlien vs Predatoris that audiences had no reason to side with either creature — they were simply watching two iconic villains fighting each other. But if Trachtenberg is pushing for anAVPmovie led byPredator: Badlands’ Thia and Dek, perhaps with someKiller of Killersheroes entering the fray too,the spin-off certainly wouldn’t have this issue.
