Predator: Badlands Director on How Marvel’s Avengers Influences Future Sequels

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Dan Trachtenberg, the director of Predator: Badlands, has exciting ideas about where he wants to take the Predator series next.

The new Predator movie, Badlands, from 20th Century Studios, is currently showing in US cinemas. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, the film features Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as the Predator, Dek, and Elle Fanning as a synthetic human, Thia. This is Trachtenberg’s third film in the Predator series, following 2022’s Prey and the upcoming 2025 release, Predator: Killer of Killers.

What did Dan Trachtenberg say about Predator: Badlands and The Avengers?

In an interview with Variety, director Trachtenberg was asked whether the last scene of Predator: Badlands – which hints at a future conflict between Dek and his mother – was intended to lead into another film.

He explained that he really liked how the ending served as a surprising twist to everything that had happened, while also hinting at future possibilities. He added that while it wouldn’t be the only reason to continue the story, it would be a fantastic addition if they did.

The best part is we’ve developed a lot of compelling characters, and it’s exciting to think about where the story goes next. I wasn’t sure we’d be exploring the ‘Killer of Killers’ storyline or Dek’s background, but we ended up doing both simultaneously. There are definitely a lot of possibilities for future stories.

I was really interested to hear what Trachtenberg said about planning future ‘Predator’ movies. He explained he’s taking a similar approach to the Marvel Cinematic Universe – basically, thinking long-term and building towards something big like they did with ‘The Avengers’. It’s exciting to think they’re not just making one-off films, but really building a whole universe!

He acknowledged that plans could change once production begins, but assured everyone he’d done thorough preparation. He wants each film to stand on its own as a great story, similar to early Marvel movies before ‘The Avengers.’ Those films were successful individually, and it was a pleasant surprise when they eventually connected. He’s applying that lesson, aiming to create films that are strong ideas in themselves, rather than relying heavily on immediate interconnectedness.

It’s challenging, but it’s enjoyable to brainstorm and imagine possibilities, even for unlikely scenarios in a movie. However, those ideas only feel satisfying if the story leading to them is also compelling.

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2025-11-11 00:37