Predator: Badlands promises to be one of the most unique films in the franchise yet because of its starring duo, but their partnership may be a red herring if the history of the Alien franchise is anything to go by. Taking the hunts of the Yautja off of Earth, Predator: Badlands centers on an outcast Predator, Dek, who teams up with an android to hunt a dangerous creature.

Previously, the world of the Predator films and the futuristic universe of the Alien franchise existed concurrently with two different sets of canon. The Alien vs. Predator duology played with having both creatures cross each other, but neither film is considered canon to the “main” universe of either series.

The trailer for Predator: Badlands provided the revelation that Dek’s android companion, Thia, was manufactured by the one and only Weyland-Yutani Corporation. This dystopian mega-corporation is behind much of the strife of the Alien series, constantly trying to capture or study the Xenomorphs for their own nefarious purposes.

With the reveal of a simple logo, Predator: Badlands seems to have dramatically re-shaped how viewers should perceive the two franchises. Whether it’s now a question of one-way canon, with the Alien films being canon to the Predator universe but not vice versa, or a simple matter of the Predator movies cherry-picking which elements they want, a lot has changed.

Either way, Thia proposes an interesting dynamic between herself and the runt Predator Dek. In the Yautja’s proud warrior culture, seeking help from others in hunts surely seems to be a taboo. Yet as an android, Thia may skirt around this should the Predators consider her to be more of a tool than a sentient being, even if she does have a personality.

Alien Movies Have Proven Androids Shouldn’t Be Easily Trusted

Unfortunately for Dek, the other androids of the Alien movies haven’t set a great precedent for relying on them for help. Looking at their history in the franchise, the Weyland-Yutani androids, more often than not, are loyal to the directives they are programmed with. Knowing the company’s shadowy activities, this doesn’t bode well for any organic companions.

For instance, the very first Alien movie featured one android among the crew of the Nostromo, science officer Ash, who just so happened to be a Hyperdyne Systems 120-A/2 synthetic in disguise. Ash was ᴀssigned to secretly allow the Chestburster to mature into a full Xenomorph and document it, heedless of the danger to the human crew.

This caused the sole survivor of the film, Ellen Ripley, to develop a healthy mistrust of androids in future installments. While her biases would sometimes turn out not to be justified, such as with the friendly Bishop or the heroic Call, other androids introduced would prove to be just as sinister as Ash, if not even more so.

By far the most chilling example of android terror in the Alien franchise, Michael Fᴀssbender’s David proves that even when the automatons do develop something of an independent personality, they can be insidious forces for evil. Because of his macabre fascination with the Engineers’ bio-organic technology, David is the one to create the Xenomorphs in the first place with his twisted experiments.

Even the Weyland-Yutani androids that have created deep bonds with the humans in their lives are vulnerable to the company’s directives, regardless of what their previous behavior may imply. In Alien: Romulus, Andy’s sweet, caring personality is essentially hijacked by his directive to secure the Xenomorph and experimental Z-01 fluid at all costs.

I’m Convinced Predator: Badlands’ Android Team-Up Is A Red Herring

Going by the track record of androids in the Alien series, Thia is unlikely to be a totally benevolent influence on Dek’s hunt. Like so many others of her kind, Thia may put on an affable face, winning over the stoic extraterrestrial hunter by leading him to his quarry or helping him navigate the hostile planet.

For as friendly as she seems, Thia’s surface-level motivations and personality are likely to be a red herring for her true mission, ultimately loyal to the Weyland-Yutani corporation. It’s highly unlikely the duo’s goals will truly overlap in a conflict-free way, with the Predators’ honor-bound hunt not fitting the parameters of Weyland-Yutani’s cold business dealings.

What exactly Thia may want out of Dek is a bit more of a mystery. One possibility is that the Yautja are only a recent discovery of the Weyland-Yutani corporation. Upon realizing that they exist as an independent alien civilization, the company may seek to reverse-engineer their technology or even procure a sample of their DNA for all sorts of nefarious purposes.

It’s worth noting that Thia herself might not especially want to follow her directives, but as proven with Alien: Romulus‘ Andy, the synthetics aren’t given much choice in the matter when their programming ultimately kicks in. In all likelihood, Thia will lead Dek to his death or worse for the advantage of Weyland-Yutani in Predator: Badlands.