The Predator franchise has taken its titular character across space and time. The starring extraterrestrial trophy-seeking species has battled the army, gang members, mercenaries, xenomorphs, and most recently, a band of Comanche warriors. This summer’s PREY takes the Predator to the Northern Great Plains in 1719, positioning him against Amber Midthunder’s Naru, who attempts to protect her tribe against the ruthless beast. This latest installment is the Predator franchise’s first prequel, and the character’s instincts reflect the time period. While Dane DiLiegro’s Predator has plenty of advanced weaponry, much of his combative nature is primal.
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“The thing about this character is he’s more of an animal. He’s more feral,” DiLiegro explained. “So it kind of takes away some of the iconic characteristics that you had from the first one, of the wide arms and the way he took the mask off. This was just more of an animal. I trained in parkour for two months. I trained in martial arts for two months and I just tried to make him this animalistic, violent, ferocious killer.”
The Predator’s hand-to-hand combat and reliance on auxiliary gadgets have often drawn parallels to a certain caped crusader from another world. If character effects artist Tom Woodruff has his way, the Predator will eventually test his skills against Batman.
“I like the idea of Batman fighting a Predator,” Woodruff said. “I’ll take that one.”
There is actually precedence for this bout, as the two have done two-dimensional battle before. A crossover comic titled Batman Versus Predator ran in 1991, with two subsequent sequels coming in the later. That said, a big screen adaptation of this must-see match-up is a tall order, as the film rights to Batman reside over at Warner Brothers Discovery.
Even if it can’t happen in theaters, Woodruff is determined to create this clash.
“Dane, if nobody else goes for it, you and me and a little camcorder, we’re going to make this work,” Woodruff continued.
As for which Batman would fair the best, DiLiegro believes The Dark Knight‘s leading man would work best against his Predator.
“I like [Christian] Bale’s. I like what they did with his character, that tank that he drives,” DiLeigro said. “I would have to go Christian Bale would probably be the most formidable. [Ben] Affleck is a Boston guy. I’m from Boston. We’d get into conversation about things.”
PREY is now streaming on Hulu.
