The follow-up to 2024’sAlien: Romuluswas already promising, butPredator: Badlandsjust made the nextAlienmovie unmissable. Whileall thePredatormovieshave their moments, director Dan Trachtenberg’s 2022 prequelPreyis the first truly unmissable entry into the franchise since the 1987 original. As such, it was exciting to hear that there were not one buttwoPredatormovies arriving in 2025from Trachtenberg. The first is theupcoming anthology moviePredator: Killer of Killers, which pits Predators against human warriors from various historical eras.
Predator: Killer of Killerslooks like an exciting way to expand on the central idea ofPrey, but the first teaser forPredator: Badlandsproves Trachtenberg’s second 2025Predatorproject might be even better. Little was known aboutPredator: Badlandssave that it is set in the future and stars Elle Fanning, but the first teaser trailer for the movie showcased a shocking twist that could change the franchise forever. Shortly before theAlienfranchise’s canon is changed byAlien: Earth,Predator: Badlandsrevealed a huge connection to the rival sci-fi horror franchise.
Predator: Badlands' Major Alien Connection All But Confirms A Crossover
Predator: Badlands’ Teaser Revealed Elle Fanning’s Character Is A Synthetic
In the first teaser forPredator: Badlands, Elle Fanning’s character Thia can be seen bound by tree branches. Her eyes power off, revealingFanning’sPredator: Badlandscharacter is a Weyland-Yutani synthetic. This means not only that the two franchises officially take place in the same universe, but that their timelines are closer than ever to intersecting. 2024’sAlien: Romulustakes place betweenAlienandAliens, whileAlien: Earthwill begin a year before theevents of 2012’sAlienprequelPrometheus.
Predator: Badlandscould now act likeGodzilla: King of the MonstersbeforeAlien: Romulus’s sequel becomes the franchise’sGodzilla vs. Kongequivalent.
In comparison, Predator: Badlandstakes place at an unspecified point in the future. As such, since Weyland-Yutani synthetics exist at this point in the shared timeline, it is reasonable to suggest thatPredator: Badlandscould happen around the same time asAlien: Romulus’ sequel. Unlike every earlierPredatormovie,Predator: Badlandsis set to follow the story of a Predator rather than their human prey. This means the movie is less likely to feature Xeonomorphs, as this could distract from its intriguing central innovation.
Alien: Romulus' Sequel Can Be Another Step Toward Alien Vs. Predator
Alien: Romulus’ Followup Can Pay Off A 21-Year-Old Promise
That said,Predator: Badlandsstill sets up a perfect chance for the two franchises to redeem 2004’s infamousAlien Vs Predatorand its equally ignominious sequel,Aliens Vs Predator: Requiem. While these movies were bad enough forthe plot ofPrometheusto retcon them completely,Predator: Badlandscould now act likeGodzilla: King of the MonstersbeforeAlien: Romulus’s sequel becomes the franchise’sGodzilla vs. Kongequivalent.
A showdown between the two titans of sci-fi horror cinema still holds an undeniable appeal, butAlien Vs Predatorarrived at a low point for both franchises. In contrast,Preywas a critical hit,Alien: Romuluswas a box office success, and bothPredator: BadlandsandPredator: Killer of Killersare currently generating massive hype by trying bold new things with the franchise. As such,Alien: Romulus’s sequel is now even more exciting than ever asPredator: Badlandslinks theAlienfranchise closer to the series.
