The latest version of the Predator, set to be introduced in Predator: Badlands, has one significant advantage that sets him apart from any incarnations of the past. Considering that, the new Yautja debuting in Badlands has the potential to take the franchise and subsequent crossovers into a bold new direction.

Predator Badlands, one of two Predator films coming from director Dan Trachtenberg in 2025, will hit theaters this November. Unlike Trachtenberg’s last film in the saga, Prey, Badlands is set on an alien planet, a big swing for the series, and features a new take on one of the Predators, a first for the storied action franchise.

The New Predator Is The Protagonist In Badlands (Meaning He’s More Likely To Survive)

As The Main Character Of The Film, The New Predator’s Chances Of Making It Out Alive Increased Significantly

For nearly 40 years, the тιтular Predator has been the antagonist of the franchise. Dating back to the iconic battle against Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character Dutch in the 1987 classic to the most recent duel against Naru, a Comanche warrior played by Amber Midthunder in 2022’s Prey, the series has always focused on the human protagonist facing off against the alien hunter. However, this trend will be bucked when the latest live-action installment, Predator: Badlands, hits multiplexes later this year.

The latest incarnation of the beloved movie monster is a younger version of the feared Predator, who looks different from the Yautja we’re used to. Additionally, he’s set to be the protagonist this go-round, a first for the saga. Because of this, I could see this version of the Predator not meeting the same untimely demise as his predecessors. Because the other iterations of the Predator were villains, the hero defeats them in the end, but with a Predator as the lead in this flick, he could live to see another battle at the end of the picture.

With Badlands Setting Up An Alien Crossover, The New Predator Could Show Up Again

The Badlands Version Of The Predator Could Be The Hero Of Future Crossover Events

Ever since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox and the rights to the Predator and Alien franchises, I felt it was only a matter of time before a new Alien vs. Predator reboot would be announced. While the original films from the 2000s were heavily maligned, the concept of a crossover between these cinematic creatures has always been intriguing. A literal blink-and-you-miss-it moment in the trailer for Badlands features Elle Fanning’s android character with a Weyland-Yutani logo, a connection to the Alien franchise.

With Predator: Badlands establishing connective tissue to the Alien films, the young Predator warrior from the new movie could return. ᴀssuming he survives whatever challenge he faces in Badlands, the protagonist’s rendition of the Predator can become a mainstay character of the respective franchises, developing into an iconic Predator of his own. Predator: Badlands has the potential to do something none of the previous films and crossovers have accomplished by establishing a recurring hero of the notorious intergalactic hunters.