In new details shared atSan Diego Comic-Con,Arnold Schwarzenegger has finally returned to thePredatorfranchiseinPredator: Killer of Killers. The original cut featured a shocking scene duringKiller of Killer’s endingwhere Ursa was placed in a cryogenic tube and carried into a hall full of other frozen fighters.
The ending originally closed with the appearance of Naru, the protagonist fromPrey, inside one of those same tubes. All of this is set up forcharacters like her to appear inPredator: Badlandsor other futurePredatorstories. The implications of this detail are enormous, andit seems that even the studio itself has recognized this potential.
Thispost-creditPredatorscenehas been updated, andit will now show two of the most important protagonists from the past inside these tubes, setting up their own returns to the franchise. Mike Harrigan, Danny Glover’s character fromPredator 2,is an exciting addition here, but what is most thrilling is the return of Dutch.
Three Other Predator Movies Wanted Arnold Schwarzenegger Back
Predator 2, Predators, And The Predator All Tried To Include Dutch
The first movie starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, and theending ofPredatorsaw Dutch surviving his encounter with the Yautja. From there, it made sense that the studio wished for him to return.ThePredator 2writersenvisioned the film as a two-hander with Schwarzenegger teaming up with Patrick Swayze.
Unfortunately, due to what may have been a very small pay dispute,Schwarzenegger did not return forPredator 2.The film was reworked, with Gary Busey taking on the role intended for Dutch, and Danny Glover taking the role written for Swayze.The film went on to be a disappointment, grossing $57 million and scoring negative reviews.
ThePredatorfranchise grew from there, but there was hope forSchwarzenegger to return toPredatorat some point.There was talk of having him cameo inAlien vs. Predator, but this was less concrete than the rest.It became impossible after he won the election for Governor of California.
Next, Robert Rodriguez hoped to include Dutch in his script forPredators.There were a few versions of this, with even plans for Schwarzenegger to emerge from a ship at the end in a small cameo role.Unfortunately, duties with his work in California kept Schwarzenegger from acting during this time.
Nearly everyPredatorproject has tried to include Schwarzenegger in some way.The last attempt before Dan Trachtenberg came in was Shane Black’sThe Predator, which did have a role for Dutch. Unfortunately, Schwarzenegger wasn’t interested in the role as it was written. He explained toYahoo! Movies:
They asked me, and I read it, and I didn’t like it — whatever they offered. So I’m not going to do that, no. Except if there’s a chance that they rewrite it, or make it a more significant role. But the way it is now, no, I won’t do that.
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Predator Return Sets Up An Exciting Future
Dutch Could Finally Be Returning To The Franchise
The return of Dutch in this short scene inPredator: Killer of Killersties the whole franchise together, andit makes a return by Schwarzenegger feel inevitable.The addition of thefrozen survivors inPredatorhas already made it possible for any character to return across time to the series, and Dutch was the most speculated among these.
Amber Midthunder
Prey
ThePredatortimelineis long and complex, but the setup forPredator: Badlandshas done an incredible job in tying all the stories together.The trailers for the new film have shown links to all kinds of stories from thePredatortimelinein addition to theAlienone.
While at the beginning ofKiller of Killers, it seemed that the three stories were isolated across disparate periods,the ending showed how these characters can come together thanks to the frozen pods.
While it is certainly possible for the characters to return in live-action inPredator: Badlands, this would be very difficult to do, and is unlikely to be the plan.
Adding Dutch and Harrigan to this is an incredible way to tie the franchise together, andseeing them return onscreen now feels inevitable.While it is certainly possible for the characters to return in live-action inPredator: Badlands, this would be very difficult to do, and is unlikely to be the plan. This is due to one major detail.
Schwarzenegger and Glover are much older than they were when they last appeared in the franchise.Dutch and Harrigan would need to look exactly as they did inPredatorandPredator 2,respectively, which would be a difficult task to pull off.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was 40 whenPredatorcame out, and Danny Glover was 45 whenPredator 2was released. The stars are now both in their late 70s.
Of course, this could be done with de-aging technology, but that would be a very expensive endeavour.Predator: Badlandshas a large budget for aPredatorfilm, estimated at $100 million,but the setup for other things in that world, including a future potentialAlien vs. Predatorcrossover, is where those funds need to go.
More likely,Dutch and Harrigan will return in a future animated project.With the success ofPredator: Killer of Killers, it now seems that there is great potential for more animated follow-ups in the series. Bringing back Schwarzenegger and Glover to voice their characters would be an exciting way to continue their stories, further tying the larger franchise together.
