Predator: Badlands director Dan Trachtenberg addresses whether the film features any Xenomorph surprises. Serving as the latest installment in the Predator franchise after Trachtenberg’s Prey (2022), the upcoming film follows a young Yautja named Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) as he seeks out the ultimate adversary after being rejected by his clan.
One major reveal in the Predator: Badlands trailer is that the film will have a key crossover with the Alien franchise in the form of Thia (Elle Fanning), a Weyland-Yutani android. This immediately raised questions about whether a Xenomorph could also be appearing.
In a recent interview with Empire, Trachtenberg lays this question to rest, confirming that Predator: Badlands will not feature any Xenomorphs. According to the director, though, the inclusion of Weyland-Yutani will make a lot of sense in the story. Check out his comment below:
“There’s no Xenomorph in this movie. But to me, that makes it more exciting. We’re not involving [the Alien franchise] just to smush the action figures together. There are great, organic story reasons for Weyland-Yutani to be in this film.”
As for how Thia factors into the tale, Fanning teases that this android will be different from the ones audiences may be familiar with:
“Thia has been on Genna a while, seeing things she wouldn’t normally see. She’s absorbing all this new information, and she’s broken too, so she’s become very different from the other synths.”
What This Means For Predator: Badlands
The appearance of a Weyland-Yutani android was a particularly buzz-worthy element of the Badlands trailer. If the trailer shows an android from the Alien franchise, the thinking went, then more crossover surprises could be waiting in the final film, including a Xenomorph.
From Trachtenberg’s comments, though, it sounds like the android will be the extent of this Alien and Predator crossover, at least for now. Both franchises are currently in a good place, with Prey having earned glowing reviews and Alien: Romulus (2024) having been a theatrical hit. Badlands could pave the way for a bigger crossover in the future.
Earlier this year, Romulus director Fede Alvarez expressed interest in exploring a crossover movie with Trachtenberg, and this suggests a Xenomorph and a Predator sharing the screen again isn’t off the table. So far, there have been two Alien vs. Predator crossover films, and both were poorly received. Under Trachtenberg and Alvarez, however, things could be different.
For Badlands, no Xenomorph showing up could be a source of disappointment for some, but Prey‘s reception suggests the film is in good hands. Prey currently enjoys a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the highest-rated live-action Predator movie ever.
Our Take On Predator: Badlands Not Featuring A Xenomorph
From the sound of things, the decision to include a Weyland-Yutani android in Badlands was a decision that is baked into the story, and not just a throwaway Easter egg. This same approach should be taken with any future inclusion of a Xenomorph, especially after just how disappointing the Alien vs. Predator movies were.
Instead of rushing a bigger crossover event, the Alien and Predator franchises could build up to one, much like how Phase 1 of the MCU built up to The Avengers (2012). This would ultimately make the crossover more satisfying and more anticipated, and it gives both franchises an opportunity to lay some important groundwork in the years ahead.
Given Predator: Badlands‘ connection to the Alien franchise, a more substantial crossover feels like just a matter of time. For now, though, those hoping to see a Predator and a Xenomorph facing off have a little longer to wait.
