Some pretty cool Predator stuff from SDCC last night as Dan Trachtenberg, the man behind Prey, Killer of Killers and the upcoming Predator: Badlands, revealed a few new details about the Predator franchise and its future.
First up, there’s been a lot of chatter about how, in the trailers for Badlands, it’s pretty clear that Elle Fanning’s character is a Weyland Yutani android and how that means that she is linked to the Alien universe too, since that company was the background villain in several of those movies, so Trachtenberg, of course was asked about the potential for a new (properly done) Aliens Vs Predator movie.
On stage, host Kevin Smith asked Trachtenberg if this link was teasing something bigger down the line, to which he said: “I think sometimes people who are dabbling in cinematic universes, there’s a seduction to grab all the action figures and smush them all together.
“And I really didn’t want to do that, and I really wanted to make sure if we ever do something, it would be a little more elegant.”
Tidbit:
At the SDCC Alien: Earth Panel, showrunner and creator Noah Hawley was asked if Alien vs Predator was something he was aware of or involved in, two which he replied: “I don’t have any current involvement in that combo package.
“But I love seeing that Dan Trachtenberg is continuing with the Predator series. This new movie looks great, and my question is, ‘Can’t we all just get along?’”
When asked if he would ever bring the Aliens into the Predator movies, Trachtenberg replied: “Wouldn’t it be cool?”
The crowd reacted accordingly.
Next up, Trachtenberg revealed that when he was releasing the really rather superb Killer of Killers animated movie, there was something left on the cutting room floor that now has been reinstated.
As of now, the movie, streaming on Hulu, has a new ending that is sure to get Predator fans from the 80s and 90s really, really excited.
WATCH: Full trailer drops for Predator: Badlands and oh, my…
If you’ve seen Killer of Killers, you will recall that the new clan of Predators (Yautjas) is collecting warriors who have bested Predators in comabat – it’s the whole point of the movie – but at the end, we see a massive warehouse of frozen champions, one of which is Amber Midthunder’s Naru from the movie Prey.
That was pretty exciting.
However, now, a new additional scene features Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Major Alan ‘Dutch’ Schaefer, above, from the original 1987 Predator along with Danny Glover’s Lieutenant Mike Harrigan from Predator 2!
Woah!
Check out the new ending featuring Dutch and Mike:
Predator: Killer of Killers New Scene
The new cut has an epilogue scene showing Lieutenant Mike Harrigan and Dutch in Cryosleep#PredatorBadlands #SDCC pic.twitter.com/v6OBJCMzZV
— DeathStrike (@DeathStrikeMIA) July 26, 2025
The epilogue was shown today at the Hall H panel, and the crowd was very appreciative.
This deleted scene explains why the gun, which was given to Harrigan at the end of Predator 2, turns up again in Killer of Killers, but man, I know there’s a story still to be told about these two and how they ended up captured by the Yautjas.
Trachtenberg said he met Arnie and Glover and was given their permission to use their likenesses and not only that, but the scene is 100% canon and may not be the last time we see Dutch or Mike.
“Recently I had a little breakfast with Arnold — and super self-conscious about what I ordered,” Trachtenberg said, “We talked a lot about the things we could make together and he was very kind to approve his cameo in this. And we can now continue to cook up things that may be in store for that guy.”
After Badlands later this year, Dan Tractenberg has another Predator movie he REALLY wants to make
Man, who would have thought Predator becoming the franchise it always should have been would have been on the 2025 bingo card? And yet, here we are.
So, we have Predator: Badlands on the horizon this November and Trachtenberg recently saying he has at least one more Predator movie he really wants to make, it seems we have a lot of Predator goodness to come and we are here for it all!
Predator Badlands arrives in cinemas on November 7th, while Alien: Earth crashes onto FX on Hulu and Disney+ on August 25th.
Check out the exclusive SDCC poster for Predator: Badlands:
SDCC 2025 Marvel gives first look at Alien Vs Captain America limited series
Marc
Marc is a self-confessed nerd. Ever since seeing Star Wars for the first time around 1979 he’s been an unapologetic fan of the Wars and still believes, with Clone Wars and now Underworld, we are yet to see the best Star Wars. He’s a dad of two who now doesn’t have the time (or money) to collect the amount of toys, comics, movies and books he once did, much to the relief of his long-suffering wife. In the real world he’s a graphic designer. He started Following the Nerd because he was tired of searching a million sites every day for all the best news that he loves and decided to create one place where you can go to get the whole lot. Secretly he longs to be sitting in the cockpit of his YT-1300 Corellian Transport ship with his co-pilot Chewie, roaming the universe, waiting for his next big adventure, but feels just at home watching cartoons with his kids….
Nerd Comments