Warning! This submit comprises SPOILERS for Predator: Badlands
Predator: Badlands is now in theaters, flipping the standard formulation by giving audiences a Predator protagonist (named Dek) whose first hunt was as brutal because it was heartfelt. Nevertheless, the film’s cliffhanger ending suggests Dek’s story is much from over, and there is additionally potential for a fair larger occasion on the horizon.
Whereas there aren’t any Xenomorphs to be discovered, Predator: Badlands has quite a few connections to the Alien franchise, most notably Dek’s major ally Thia, a Weyland-Yutani Company synth performed by Elle Fanning. Contemplating the franchises have lengthy been set in the identical shared universe, these ties have been very thrilling (and made sense).
Nevertheless, Predator: Badlands might have additionally laid the groundwork for an all-new Alien vs Predator crossover (not only a sequel).
How Predator: Badlands Units Up Future Tales (“Revenge of the Moms”)
Following their defeat of the Weyland-Yutani bio-weapons workforce on the planet Genna, the ending of Predator: Badlands sees Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) returning house to Yautja Prime along with his new clan (Thia and the younger Kalisk she named Bud).
Demanding his cloak from his father, who tried to kill him at first of Badlands, Dek succeeds in defeating his father and claiming the standard Yautja weapon, proving himself whereas avenging his brother (whom his father killed for shielding Dek).
The climactic battle between Dek and his father felt like the right emotional conclusion to Badlands…till the final shock scene.
An imminent Yautja ship was proven on the horizon, and Dek confirms to Thia that his mom is coming. Within the face of her husband’s dying, Dek’s mom could also be in search of vengeance for what she may doubtless see as a betrayal, offering the right antagonist for a possible Badlands sequel.
On the similar time, persevering with Thia’s arc may simply increase a sequel with even larger stakes.
As an artificial linked to the Alien franchise’s Weyland-Yutani Company, it is fairly potential that MUTHUR and “The Firm” could also be in search of payback of their very own, as Thia defied their orders by becoming a member of Dek and taking out all the Bio-Weapons workforce on Genna (together with her twin synth “sister” Tessa).
Thia may simply be a significant issue for Weyland-Yutani, and never solely as a result of she disobeyed orders and went rogue. It is fairly potential that she might be in possession of confidential and proprietary data that Weyland does not need uncovered.
Mixed together with her standing as a synth with additional “sensitivities”, it is also potential that she’s merely far too beneficial for Weyland to easily let go of after all of the losses that accrued on Genna. A Predator: Badlands sequel may see Dek and Thia dealing with a number of threats (and two totally different “Moms”).
That stated, it will also be argued {that a} sequel may go even additional, changing into a full-blown and brand-new AVP crossover.
The whole lot May Be Constructing To A Model-New Alien vs Predator Crossover
These quite a few threads in Predator: Badlands may all be pointing towards one huge occasion: a unified Alien vs. Predator story that merges each nook of the shared universe and its newer initiatives launched over the previous couple of years.
Badlands confirmed Weyland-Yutani is effectively conscious of the Yautja, and that The Firm views them as a risk. Likewise, Thia revealed a part of her work for Weyland concerned an in depth examine of the Yautja warrior species and their tradition.
When Dek was captured by Tessa, there have been plans to convey him again to Weyland as one other specimen to be experimented on, suggesting that Weyland doubtless has a vested curiosity in Predators as a lot as Xenomorphs, the right basis for an epic crossover that sees each species clashing as soon as extra.
A possible crossover occasion may additionally embrace acquainted faces from the animated Predator film Killer of Killers, as its ending confirmed that the Yautja had captured Prey’s Naru (Amber Midthunder), the primary Predator’s Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger), and Predator 2’s Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover), all of whom have been proven on Yautja Prime positioned in cryo-stasis.
Their survival may result in an unprecedented gathering of the franchise’s biggest warriors (maybe with some handy cryo-leakage to replicate sure actors’ present ages). Think about these basic heroes awakening to have interaction in a battle between human companies, synthetics, unleashed Xenomorphs, and a number of Yautja clans, tying collectively over 4 a long time of storytelling.
In the meantime, Weyland-Yutani’s established curiosity within the Yautja may ignite a completely new alien specimen arms race. The corporate has at all times coveted alien biology for weaponization. In the event that they handle to seize even one Predator, one may simply think about them making an attempt to create some type of horrifyingly new hybrid risk, taking the Alien vs Predator idea to an entire new degree.
All issues thought-about, Predator: Badlands may simply be setting the stage for one of the formidable AVP crossover occasions ever.
Even when issues go in an entire totally different course other than the hypothesis above, you’ll be able to wager an Alien vs Predator film is actively being talked about by Disney and twentieth Century Fox, particularly contemplating Badlands’ excessive reward from critics and audiences alike.
Predator: Badlands is now enjoying in theaters from twentieth Century Fox
- Launch Date
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November 5, 2025
- Runtime
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107 minutes
- Director
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Dan Trachtenberg
- Writers
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Dan Trachtenberg, Patrick Aison, John Thomas, Jim Thomas
- Producers
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Brent O’Connor, John Davis, Marc Toberoff, Dan Trachtenberg, Ben Rosenblatt
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Elle Fanning
Thia / Tessa
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Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi
Dek / Father