‘Predator: Badlands’ Director Reveals How Sci-Fi Franchise Will Take Inspiration From the MCU

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Dan Trachtenberg, the director behind Predator: Badlands, has shared his plans for the future of the Predator franchise, explaining that he’s taking inspiration from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Trachtenberg previously revitalized the series with Prey, a 2022 prequel set in the early 1700s, which featured a battle between a Predator and a brave Comanche warrior. After the lukewarm response to 2018’s The Predator, Prey was a critical success and breathed new life into the series. Now, with his third film in the franchise, Trachtenberg envisions an even larger scope for Predator, drawing parallels to the hugely popular MCU.

The new movie, Predator: Badlands, comes out this Friday, and director Trachtenberg is currently promoting it. In an interview with Comic Book, he shared that he has a large-scale vision for the future of the Predator series. While the exact scope is still being figured out, he hinted that his plan involves a big crossover event similar to the way the Marvel Cinematic Universe built to a massive finale where all storylines converge.

The success of The Avengers wasn’t about being the first or second Marvel movie. It worked because we’d already had time to connect with the characters and their personal stories through several individual films that were good in their own right. That way, when we finally brought them together, we’d already invested in them and cared about their journeys.

As a huge fan of the Predator films, I found Trachtenberg’s recent comments pretty interesting. He said he’s proud to be called the ‘Kevin Feige’ of the franchise, which, honestly, he’s earned! He then mentioned he’s made ‘a couple of good Predator movies’ and is hoping for a third. But wait a minute
 didn’t he already deliver three really strong entries with Prey, Predator: Killer of Killers, and Predator: Badlands? It makes you wonder what he meant by that, doesn’t it?

I’m flattered by that comparison, as I have immense respect for Kevin Feige and consider his work groundbreaking. I’ve been fortunate enough to make two well-received Predator films, and I’m hoping to continue the series with a third. We’ll just have to see what happens.

Reigniting the ‘Predator’ Franchise With an Awesome Spin


20th Century Studios

I’ve been following the Predator movies since the original back in ’87, and what a fantastic introduction it was – Arnold Schwarzenegger facing off against this incredible alien hunter! Sadly, things kind of went downhill after that. Predator 2 wasn’t a hit with critics, and we didn’t see another film for a long time. While NimrĂłd Antal’s Predators in 2010 tried to recapture the magic of the first one, it didn’t quite get there, and the 2018 installment, The Predator, suffered the same fate. It’s a franchise with a brilliant start, but the sequels have struggled to live up to that initial promise.

Trachtenberg didn’t just follow the established formula for Predator movies – he reimagined it in several new ways. While Predator: Badlands hasn’t been released yet, trailers suggest a compelling new direction for the series. This time, the Predator isn’t the main villain; he’s actually teamed up with an android to battle an even more powerful creature. It appears the Predator franchise is finding success by innovating and learning from past films, and Trachtenberg has shown he’s particularly good at doing just that.

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2025-11-04 18:33