Major Spoilers for Predator: Killer of Killers are below!
Summary
Predator: Killer of Killersintroduces a unique element that makes Arnold Schwarzenegger’s franchise return possible. Schwarzenegger kicked off the franchise as the star of 1987’sPredator. However, the series has thrived on standalone sequels featuring new human characters facing off against Yautja warriors. That setup is about to change with director Dan Trachtenberg’sPredator: Badlandsfollowing a Yautja protagonist.
Trachtenberg has been at the helm of thePredatorfranchise following the success of his 2022 entryPrey, which features Amber Midthunder as a Comanche warrior named Naru.Predator: Killer of Killersis the director’s first follow-up, taking things in a unique direction with an animated anthology film featuring three different warriors, a Viking, a Samurai, and a WWII fighter pilot, through separate stories that find a connection through an unexpected finale that fleshes out lore.The finale ofPredator: Killer of Killersalso leaves the door wide open for the return of surviving characters throughout the years, including Schwarzenegger.
Though Teased At Times, Arnold Schwarzenegger Has Never Returned To ThePredatorFranchise
Afterthe success ofPredator, the studio greenlit a sequel, with Schwarzenegger expected to reprise his role as Dutch in the follow-up film. However, scheduling conflicts withTerminator 2: Judgment Day, which offered him a significantly larger payday, saw the actor take the iconic role rather than bouts with alien hunters.Predator 2was released in 1990, starring Danny Glover and Gary Busey. It took the story out of the jungle and into the city, offering a new setting and characters, without Schwarzenegger.
While several standalone sequels have followed, Schwarzenegger has never returned. However,numerousPredatorsequels hadplans to include him before things fell apart.The 2010 sequel,Predators, had planned to bring the actor back in a cameo that would have featured him with other hunters, much like the film’s plot, but it was cut from the script. 2018’sThe Predatorwas also intended to feature Schwarzenegger in a cameo, but he declined because he felt the character deserved more. Schwarzenegger was even offered a cameo in 2004’sAlien vs. Predator, but was forced to turn it down when he won the California Governor’s race. With all the attempts to bring the actor’s character, Dutch, back to the franchise,Predator: Killer of Killersfinally provides a unique way.
The Ending OfPredator: Killer Of KillersSets Up A Way For Schwarzenegger’s Dutch To Return
In each of the three stories told inPredator: Killer of Killers, the human characters beat the Yautja warriors they face. This sees them later abducted and put into cryo pods that allow them to be frozen for years on end.The finale shows the three warriors from vastly different times throughout history pit against each other in an arena fight on the Predator’s planet.Director Dan Trachtenberg toldPolygon:
So the movie was made under the code nameWarehouse,as that end moment was in the original idea pitch to the studio, and it felt like the end ofRaiders of the Lost Ark.
Killer of Killersalso sees a quickshot of Naru from Preyin one of the cryo pods, showing where the character has since ended up following that film’s finale and fleshing out her journey. However, she is seen among dozens of rows and columns of other warriors abducted throughout history, much like her and the warrior seen inPredator: Killer of Killers.While Schwarzenegger’s Dutch isn’t seen, given the number of cryo pods the audience sees, he could easily be among them, ready to be thawed out for a sequel.Trachtenberg also considered Schwarzenegger, explaining:
Certainly Arnold, like many others, was a survivor of his story, and one could easily imagine him up there in cryo, along with any other Earth champion or champion from other planets.
Beyond Dutch’s return, the conceit shown to viewers posits that any surviving characterwho has killed a Yautjacould be among the cryo pods, frozen throughout time until the Predators choose to thaw them out for sport. Danny Glover fromPredator 2, Adrien Brody and Alice Braga fromPredators, and even Boyd Holbrook fromThe Predatorare on the table if they choose to explore the cryo pod setup in full.Killer of Killerssets up many possibilities, includingPrey 2, but their plans may rest with the success ofPredator: Badlandsin November.
ThePredatorFranchise’s Future Is Full Of Endless Possibilities And Opportunities
Predator: Badlandsfeatures a Yautja protagonist, a unique take on the series that audiences haven’t seen.Rumors also point toward the potential ofanotherAlien vs. Predatorfilm, asBadlandshas a team-up between the Predator and a Weyland-Yutani android, which has been shown in the trailers. Some fans have been hoping to seePrey 2, as the film has become a beloved sequel, whichPredator: Killer of Killerssets up in its closing moments.
Predator: Killer of Killersalso poses the potential for endless anthology-style installments, following warriors from different points in time as they battle Yautja. WhilePreywas a feature film,Killer of Killersoffers smaller stories that could feature many characters through their anthology gimmick, paving the way for any story or creator with a great idea. Given Schwarzenegger’s age, bringing Dutch back via theKiller of Killersanimation could make sense, allowing the character to still be younger in franchise lore. While plans for the series beyondPredator: Badlandsremain unclear,Predator: Killer of Killershas left the door open for numerous sequel possibilities, posing an exciting future.
