In new details shared at San Diego Comic-Con, Arnold Schwarzenegger has finally returned to the Predator ​​​​​​franchise in Predator: Killer of Killers. The original cut featured a shocking scene during Killer of Killer‘s ending where Ursa was placed in a cryogenic tube and carried into a hall full of other frozen fighters.

The ending originally closed with the appearance of Naru, the protagonist from Prey, inside one of those same tubes. All of this is set up for characters like her to appear in Predator: Badlands or other future Predator stories. The implications of this detail are enormous, and it seems that even the studio itself has recognized this potential.

This post-credit Predator scene has been updated, and it will now show two of the most important protagonists from the past inside these tubes, setting up their own returns to the franchise. Mike Harrigan, Danny Glover’s character from Predator 2, is an exciting addition here, but what is most thrilling is the return of Dutch.

Three Other Predator Movies Wanted Arnold Schwarzenegger Back

Predator 2, Predators, And The Predator All Tried To Include Dutch

The first movie starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the ending of Predator saw Dutch surviving his encounter with the Yautja. From there, it made sense that the studio wished for him to return. The Predator 2 writers envisioned the film as a two-hander with Schwarzenegger teaming up with Patrick Swayze.

Unfortunately, due to what may have been a very small pay dispute, Schwarzenegger did not return for Predator 2. The film was reworked, with Gary Busey taking on the role intended for Dutch, and Danny Glover taking the role written for Swayze. The film went on to be a disappointment, grossing $57 million and scoring negative reviews.

The Predator franchise grew from there, but there was hope for Schwarzenegger to return to Predator at some point. There was talk of having him cameo in Alien vs. Predator, but this was less concrete than the rest. It became impossible after he won the election for Governor of California.

Next, Robert Rodriguez hoped to include Dutch in his script for Predators. There were a few versions of this, with even plans for Schwarzenegger to emerge from a ship at the end in a small cameo role. Unfortunately, duties with his work in California kept Schwarzenegger from acting during this time.

Nearly every Predator project has tried to include Schwarzenegger in some way. The last attempt before Dan Trachtenberg came in was Shane Black’s The Predator, which did have a role for Dutch. Unfortunately, Schwarzenegger wasn’t interested in the role as it was written. He explained to Yahoo! Movies:

They asked me, and I read it, and I didn’t like it — whatever they offered. So I’m not going to do that, no. Except if there’s a chance that they rewrite it, or make it a more significant role. But the way it is now, no, I won’t do that.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Predator Return Sets Up An Exciting Future

Dutch Could Finally Be Returning To The Franchise

The return of Dutch in this short scene in Predator: Killer of Killers ties the whole franchise together, and it makes a return by Schwarzenegger feel inevitable. The addition of the frozen survivors in Predator has already made it possible for any character to return across time to the series, and Dutch was the most speculated among these.

The Predator timeline is long and complex, but the setup for Predator: Badlands has done an incredible job in tying all the stories together. The trailers for the new film have shown links to all kinds of stories from the Predator timeline in addition to the Alien one.

While at the beginning of Killer of Killers, it seemed that the three stories were isolated across disparate periods, the ending showed how these characters can come together thanks to the frozen pods.

Adding Dutch and Harrigan to this is an incredible way to tie the franchise together, and seeing them return onscreen now feels inevitable. While it is certainly possible for the characters to return in live-action in Predator: Badlands, this would be very difficult to do, and is unlikely to be the plan. This is due to one major detail.

Schwarzenegger and Glover are much older than they were when they last appeared in the franchise. Dutch and Harrigan would need to look exactly as they did in Predator and Predator 2, respectively, which would be a difficult task to pull off.

Of course, this could be done with de-aging technology, but that would be a very expensive endeavour. Predator: Badlands has a large budget for a Predator film, estimated at $100 million, but the setup for other things in that world, including a future potential Alien vs. Predator crossover, is where those funds need to go.

More likely, Dutch and Harrigan will return in a future animated project. With the success of Predator: Killer of Killers, it now seems that there is great potential for more animated follow-ups in the series. Bringing back Schwarzenegger and Glover to voice their characters would be an exciting way to continue their stories, further tying the larger franchise together.