Major New Alien vs. Predator Movie Theory Just Got Shot Down (For Now)

Predator: Badlands is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated films of the fall. The franchise has experienced a resurgence over the past few years, with works like Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers earning widespread praise. Both of those films were directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who returned to helm Badlands. His involvement alone would be enough to make Badlands an exciting proposition, but there’s another reason why the movie is generating so much buzz. It has connections to the Alien franchise, with Elle Fanning’s Thia a synthetic designed by Weyland-Yutani. That detail has fans speculating what other Alien references could be in store, but it’s been confirmed a xenomorph won’t be appearing.

Speaking with Empire, Trachtenberg put the kibosh on any Alien vs. Predator crossover hopes. “There’s no xenomorph in this movie,” he said. “But to me, that makes it more exciting. We’re not involving [the Alien franchise] just to smush the action figures together. There are great, organic story reasons for Weyland-Yutani to be in this film.”

Could A New Alien vs. Predator Movie Happen in the Future?

Young Yautja protagonist Dek won’t be wrangling a xenomorph on his quest to prove himself, but that doesn’t mean he won’t cross paths with one at some point down the line. Trachtenberg previously expressed hopes that Predator: Badland‘s connections to Alien would open the door for more opportunities in another installment, but he smartly isn’t getting ahead of himself. Holding back on a xenomorph vs. Yautja showdown for the time being is arguably the best strategy, taking things slow and steady and building up to something that can be extremely satisfying.

Trachtenberg has also teased that he had three ideas for new Predator movies after he made Prey. The first two — Killer of Killers and Badlands — have already come to fruition. The third remains a mystery. It’s possible that Trachtenberg is waiting to see how Badlands performs before moving ahead with another film. Prey and Killer of KIllers were hits on Hulu; Badlands is a very different kind of litmus test for the franchise, as it’ll be interesting to see how it fares in theaters during a busy month that sees the release of other high-profile works like The Running Man, Wicked: For Good, and Zootopia 2. Obviously, all of those aren’t targeting the same demographic, but November will still be crowded at the multiplex.

Read Next

The Predator Franchise Is Quickly Becoming Everything Marvel and DC Want to Be

If Badlands hits the mark (and based on Trachtenberg’s track record, there’s a good chance it will), then perhaps he could move forward on a new Alien vs. Predator movie. The Weyland-Yutani connection in Predator: Badlands feels like a deliberate creative decision to establish the ties between Alien and Predator for younger audiences. It’s been so long since Aliens vs. Predator – Requiem that some viewers may not have even known the two franchises are set in the same universe. Making Thia a Weyland-Yutani synthetic is a subtle enough way for Trachtenberg to essentially have his cake and eat it too, tapping into the shared universe angle without overdoing it.

Trachtenberg is clearly passionate about this material, constantly looking for ways to put a fresh spin on the Predator mythos. Utilizing Weyland-Yutani could go beyond Trachtenberg’s desire to make a movie that doesn’t have human characters. Though its story could work as a standalone tale of an underdog Yautja making a name for himself, it’ll help establish a foundation that can be explored in later installments. If Alien vs. Predator wasn’t on Trachtenberg’s mind already, he might have gone in a different direction with Badlands.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!