Everything We Know About Predator’s Future After Badlands: Arnie’s Return, Prey 2 & More Updates

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The Predator and Alien franchises have been thriving recently. When Disney bought Fox, many worried about the future of these mature-rated series, but those concerns haven’t come true. Disney brought in Dan Trachtenberg to oversee the Predator stories, and he’s done an excellent job revitalizing the series. We’ve seen major successes with Prey and Predator: Badlands, both offering fresh and unique stories. These have been supplemented by Predator: Killer of Killers, an animated anthology series that ended on a cliffhanger.

Trachtenberg’s new three-year contract with Paramount initially worried fans about the future of the Predator franchise. However, those concerns are now eased, as there are plenty of exciting ideas still being developed. Here’s an update on what’s planned for Predator, especially with the upcoming Badlands series on Disney+.

Dan Trachtenberg Still Plans On Making More Predator Movies

Trachtenberg has always been upfront about wanting to expand beyond the Predator series. He jokingly told Screen Rant last November that he’d like to make movies that don’t always include the Yautja. His new deal with Paramount offers opportunities to work on other large franchises, like Star Trek, which likely appealed to him. However, he’s confirmed he’s still actively developing future Predator projects, stating he’s currently working out the next steps for the franchise.

Trachtenberg revealed he’s developing a third idea for a Predator film, an idea that energized him so much he fast-tracked both Killer of Killers and Badlands. He explained to SFX Magazine in June 2025 that he had three potential sequels after Prey was released. He pushed to make two of them concurrently – leveraging animation’s multitasking capabilities – because he was particularly excited about getting started on the third concept.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Has Had Discussions About Returning As Dutch

It’s unclear what Shane Black has planned next for the Predator franchise, but Arnold Schwarzenegger is potentially interested in returning. Black recently shared that he spoke with Schwarzenegger, who joked that he’s heard “Get to the chopper!” more often than “I’ll be back.” Schwarzenegger is clearly aware of the enduring popularity of the series and eager to discuss future possibilities. The ending of Predator: Killer of Killers hinted at this, showing his character, Dutch, being taken by the Yautja for potential future hunts.

The Predator franchise is expanding beyond traditional movies, and it’s currently unclear what that will look like. While many fans would love to see Arnold Schwarzenegger return to fight the Yautja, animation offers incredible possibilities for action-packed storytelling. As Schwarzenegger himself has said, action heroes never truly retire – they simply adapt and continue the fight.

Will There Be A 3rd Alien vs. Predator Movie?

As a huge fan of both Predator and Alien, I’ve always loved the idea of a crossover, and it feels like we’re heading that way again with Disney now owning both franchises. The recent Predator: Badlands really threw things wide open – they introduced a synthetic human, Thia, who’s connected to the Weyland-Yutani corporation. This is a big deal because it officially links Weyland-Yutani to both the Predator and Alien universes, suggesting another showdown between the Yautja and Xenomorphs is definitely on the cards. It’s exciting to see these two worlds colliding in a more meaningful way!

Both J.J. Abrams (through his production company, Trachtenberg) and Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez have expressed a desire to create something more substantial than just a crossover featuring action figures. Álvarez recently told Collider he’d prefer to keep any potential collaboration a secret.

Ideally, a crossover between the Alien and Predator franchises would work best if kept a surprise. It’s tough to maintain secrecy online these days. The most effective approach would be to build the story so you don’t realize it’s a crossover until the opposing creature appears. Imagine thinking you’re watching a Predator movie, then suddenly Xenomorphs show up – that would be amazing! Or, conversely, being in an Alien story and then hearing that distinctive sound and seeing a cloaked figure, realizing it’s a Predator. That’s how I’d do it. Once you advertise it as a crossover, you ruin the surprise.

What’s Going On With Prey 2?

I really enjoyed Prey, and it sounds like Amber Midthunder is eager to come back for another film, which the ending definitely hinted at! But director Dan Trachtenberg seemed more excited about tackling something completely new, like Badlands, than immediately jumping into a Prey sequel. Producer Ben Rosenblatt told Screen Rant they didn’t rule out a follow-up entirely, but they were more focused on pushing the story forward and exploring new ideas rather than just revisiting the same territory. They could have easily done another Prey set in a different time, but they wanted to take bigger risks creatively.

A Predator: Killer of Killers Sequel Hasn’t Been Confirmed

While Predator: Killer of Killers left viewers on a cliffhanger, there’s currently no word on whether it will continue with another season or series. The creator, Trachtenberg, doesn’t seem eager to repeat the same story, which likely means it isn’t a high priority right now. However, there’s still a lot of potential, and fans are hoping Predator will explore it further.

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2026-02-12 22:42