Dan Trachtenberg’s unique chapter in the Predator franchise тιтled Predator: Badlands introduces a new Predator to the mix, with a look unlike any Yautja seen before. The first trailer for the latest entry in the storied sci-fi horror franchise brings an entirely new world to the forefront, far away both in time and distance from Trachtenberg’s previous Predator movie, the widely-acclaimed Prey. The new adventure stars Elle Fanning, and acts as a stand-alone film in the franchise’s continuity. Set a few hundred years in the future, Predator: Badlands looks to be a key film in expanding the franchise’s lore.

The Predator franchise has featured a parade of different variations on the iconic Predator creature design, but most have at least retained the same hulking figure, body armor, multi-mandibled mouth and nasty temperament. Judging by the Predator: Badlands trailer, Trachtenberg and co. will bring a new member of the species into the fold with a look that is distinct from its predecessors. It isn’t just a fun, creative new version, however; the new Predator’s look has a distinct purpose from a story-telling perspective.

The Predator’s New Look In Predator: Badlands Explained

He Looks Much More Human

While the new Predator still has the familiar mandibles and dreadlocks, there are several key differences that make his appearance the closest a Yautja has ever come to looking human. As he’s been identified as a younger member of the species, he has a much slighter build than many of the other Predators in the movie franchise, and his skull features are less developed. While he has some armor on (at least more than the Predator from Prey, due to the futuristic setting), it appears far less sophisticated than that of more experienced Predators, and therefore his less-muscled appearance is more obvious.

The same goes for his dreadlocks; as he is a younger Predator, they appear to not be quite as extensive, to the point that he is able to pin them back and keep the rest of his face exposed. His eye sockets are far more open than Predators from the past, which aligns with the general concept of having his appearance less concealed. Stripped of many of the more extreme facial and body features of other Predators, the one in Predator: Badlands has a more humanoid form, which is essential to his characterization.

The Predator’s More Humanoid Look Makes Sense For Predator: Badlands

Departing From The Traditional Look Makes Sense For The Plot

It’s clear that the Predator’s more human-like appearance is designed to make him easier to identify with for the audience. For the first time, the audience is meant to root for the Predator as a protagonist, instead of being a circumstantial ally (like in Alien vs. Predator) or the outright villain. While the entire plot is not yet clear, based on what’s been reported it can be inferred that the Predator in Badlands is an outcast on his first hunt, which will determine his status within the Yautja society moving forward.

Elle Fanning is the only human cast member that’s been identified (and it appears she is actually a Weyland-Yutani android, not a human), so the hero really does appear to be the young Predator. Moviegoers need to be able to separate this new character from the menacing, muscular killer that they’re used to fearing, and changing his appearance is a good way to get there. It’s a fairly common psychological trick to make an audience see themselves in a hero in any genre, so making the Predator look human being-adjacent is an easy way to execute that concept.

Predator: Badlands Is Already Different From All Previous Predator Movies

The Predator Is A Protagonist, And A True Underdog

The Predator in Predator: Badlands represents a bold new direction for the franchise in that he is not an experienced, battle-hardened hunter. As opposed to humans being the latest in a long line of victims, the new Predator appears to be going after a much more dangerous creature in an effort to impress on his first hunt. The audience won’t get the stealthy, self-ᴀssured specter of death that the Predator usually represents; they’ll see an unsure, less competent hunter that is far easier to identify with.

That departure from the norm will undoubtedly irk some of the more vocal elements of the franchise’s fanbase, but I’m excited that Trachtenberg is continuing to try new things. The Predator franchise produced a number of poor sequels that stuck to the more traditional formula, but the first truly unique chapter, Prey, literally revitalized interest in the Predator as a character and the franchise as a whole. Big swings like the young, undeveloped hunter at the center of Predator: Badlands could be the next big swing that pushes the franchise forward.