The upcoming film titled “Predator: Badlands” is poised to significantly revamp the Predator movie series, and in the process, it aims to rectify an enduring problem within the franchise. Slated for release after 2022’s Prey and the 2025 animated movie “Predator: Killer of Killers”, “Predator: Badlands” is set far in the future but is just one aspect of its planned transformation for the Predator universe. Uniquely, this film will mark the first time a Predator (or “Yautja”) takes the lead role, with the story revolving around a Predator named Dek, portrayed by actor Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi.
Working with an entirely fresh concept for a Predator movie, Predator: Badlands could potentially pave the way for something unprecedented within the Predator franchise. Essentially, if Dek is the main character of Predator: Badlands, it might be the first time a Predator emerges victorious in the end.
Predator: Badlands Needs to Show a Predator Triumphing Over Humans
In the narrative of “Predator: Badlands,” we’ll follow Dek, a Yautja exile, who forms an alliance with Thia, an android from Weyland-Yutani (portrayed by Elle Fanning). The trailer for “Badlands” hints at Dek engaging in fierce battles against various opponents, such as other alien species, rival Yautja hunters, and a sizable group of humans. Although it seems there might be some form of partnership between Predators and humans in “Badlands,” the involvement of humans also opens up an additional exploration by depicting what it could look like when a Predator emerges victorious over a human opponent.
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As a die-hard cinema fan, I must say that the idea of a Predator emerging victorious in its conflicts with humans isn’t unfamiliar within the “Predator” franchise. Every movie in this series has depicted Predators relentlessly hunting and slaying numerous humans, keeping their skulls as trophies. However, it’s always been the humans who manage to outsmart their Yautja adversary and come out on top by the end of each film. The upcoming movie “Badlands” could potentially challenge this norm by portraying a Predator as the undisputed victor in its battles with human enemies. This is a role that the human characters in the movie, particularly Dek, might play significantly in Dek’s struggle for survival. Interestingly, the “Badlands” teaser seems to acknowledge this twist by depicting Dek consistently at a disadvantage against every enemy he encounters, which is something we haven’t seen with any Predator before “Badlands”.
The Predators Have Lost to a Lot of Humans (& Badlands Can Change That)
The Predators are undeniably powerful alien warriors and hunters, as repeatedly shown in the Predator movies. Compared to humans, Yautjas (that’s what they call themselves) are bigger and stronger. However, their superiority doesn’t end there; they possess advanced technology far beyond human understanding. When they come to Earth, they bring high-tech weaponry and a cloaking device that makes them almost invisible to the human eye. In any confrontation between Predators and humans, it’s clear who would win more often than not.
Despite their adversaries’ formidable strength, skills, and technology, humans have consistently found ways to counteract the Predators’ infrared vision by concealing their heat signatures. This, coupled with the resourcefulness and combat prowess of some human characters, has allowed them to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. As a result, no Yautja hunter depicted in the Predator movies has ever emerged victorious against groups of humans. However, with the introduction of Dek as the first Yautja protagonist in the movie “Badlands”, he is able to claim victory over the antagonistic human characters, a feat that has eluded his kin since the beginning of the franchise. This shift in perspective opens up possibilities for “Badlands” to be a unique and distinctive addition to the Predator series.
Why Predator: Badlands Could Be Very Pivotal to the Predator Franchise
In positioning itself as the first “Predator” movie with a Predator in the lead role and set in a distant future on a remote planet unlike Earth, “Predator: Badlands” introduces several fresh elements to its narrative. However, Dek being the first Yautja with the potential to overpower an entire squadron of human adversaries – and winning our support while doing so – could pave the way for “Badlands” to redefine the Predator’s role within their long-standing franchise. If audiences find Dek as the Predator hero in “Badlands” compelling, who knows if we might see more Predator heroes or anti-heroes emerge? Additionally, the apparent links between “Predator: Badlands” and the “Alien” franchise could lead to a new “Aliens vs. Predator” crossover, but not necessarily one that fans of both franchises would expect immediately.
In the style of a Predator movie, if character Dek is engaging in combat with humans, it’s plausible that the same scenario could unfold with Dek or another Predator in an upcoming Alien movie or series. Furthermore, the film Badlands could act as a bridge between these two franchises, setting up a situation where the Alien vs. Predator aspect of both series might be revisited. However, this revival wouldn’t solely focus on Xenomorphs fighting Yautja. Instead, Badlands might hint at a future where characters and settings from both franchises could intermingle for mutual benefit, with occasional Alien versus Predator encounters added as a bonus.
Primarily, the upcoming film “Predator: Badlands” could be embarking on an extensive examination of the Predator culture, revealing a wide array of Predator tribes and depicting them as not uniform in their warrior attitudes towards humans and other species. For this to occur, however, “Predator: Badlands ” must and should grant Dek the unique honor of being the first Predator to decisively overcome all human adversaries within the film, presenting such a Predator’s triumph from the perspective of a seasoned and tenacious Yautja.
The movie titled “Predator: Killer of Killers” is currently available for streaming on both Hulu and Disney+, while “Predator: Badlands” is set to hit theaters on November 7th.
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2025-06-11 19:10