Predator: Badlands’ Ending Officially Makes Franchise History

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The latest Predator movie is now playing in theaters, marking the franchise’s return to the big screen after a seven-year hiatus. Director Dan Trachtenberg, known for Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers, brings a fresh perspective to this nearly forty-year-old series. While past Predator films were primarily sci-fi horror, this new installment, Badlands, focuses on the creature itself, delivering an action-adventure experience that’s different from anything fans have seen before.

Although Predator: Badlands has a very original story, the way it ends suggests even larger developments could be coming in future films. The movie includes a significant scene before the opening credits that hints at a major change to the Predator universe – the biggest in decades. Now that the film is out, the franchise is poised to reveal something completely new to audiences. While this new direction feels logical, it might take some time for dedicated fans to adjust.

Predator: Badlands’ Ending Does Something No Other Movie Ever Has

The ending of Predator: Badlands takes a surprising turn. After overcoming the challenges of the planet Genna, Dek, a young Predator, and his synthetic companion, Thia, return to the Predator home world. There, Dek confronts and defeats his father – the Predator who exiled him and killed his brother – proving his strength and earning his place within the clan. Just when it seems the story is over, a ship appears on the horizon. Dek reveals it’s his mother, hinting at the introduction of a female Predator – something never before seen in any of the eight previous Predator films, though they have appeared in comics and other media. This sets the stage for a new direction in the franchise.

As a long-time fan, I’ve always been a little surprised that we’ve never seen female Predators in all these movies, considering how much history the franchise has shown us! Predator: Badlands actually dropped some interesting clues early on – Dek mentioned Tessa being Thia’s sister, and it really got me thinking. The fact that they have a word for ‘sister’ and Dek understood the family connection suggests females definitely exist within their culture. If they make a sequel, it would be amazing to finally see them introduced! I hope they don’t just make the females like slightly different versions of the males, though. I think they could take inspiration from the Alien movies and go in a really unique direction. Imagine a full-blown Yautja Queen! That would be a fantastic way to expand the Predator universe and really explore their society on a deeper level. It’s an exciting possibility!

How Predator: Badlands Expands on Predator Lore

Beyond simply adding to the established story, Predator: Badlands delves deeper into the Yautja culture than any previous film. We learn that the Yautja are organized into clans, led by the strongest males, but also potentially influenced by females, like the enigmatic mother of one character. The film presents the Yautja as being much like the ancient Spartans, valuing strength above all else. Throughout the story, Dek frequently mentions his species’ code, which focuses on self-improvement and eliminating weakness. This includes clans eliminating weaker members – a practice similar to the Spartans’ treatment of infants with genetic defects. Dek himself is initially deemed the weakest in his clan and narrowly avoids being killed thanks to his brother’s refusal to carry out the act.

As a big fan of the Predator films, I’ve always been fascinated by the Yautja themselves. What’s really cool is that recent movies, especially Prey, have given us a much deeper look into their culture and how they become hunters. We see Dek, the young Yautja in the latest film, go through this coming-of-age hunt – it’s basically their version of a rite of passage. He has to bring back a trophy to prove he’s worthy of the title and, crucially, earn his invisibility cloak – a staple of their hunting gear! It felt really similar to what we saw with Naru in Prey, where she had to prove herself against a Predator. Seeing this process really changes how you view the Yautja – you start to recognize consistent cultural threads running through them, making them feel like a fully realized species with traditions and beliefs. It’s not just about the hunt anymore; it’s about why they hunt.

What to Expect From the Next Predator Movie

While a new Predator movie hasn’t been officially confirmed, the latest film strongly hints that we haven’t seen the last of the Yautja creatures. Unlike previous installments, which have all been self-contained stories with new characters since the original 1987 Predator, the ending of the recent film suggests a direct sequel is possible. It seems Dek and Thia’s story will continue, and we might even see more development of Dek’s family life, particularly with his mother’s arrival.

Upcoming Predator films will likely continue to connect with the Alien universe. The recent film, Badlands, already featured several nods to Alien, most prominently the inclusion of the Weyland-Yutani corporation. This company, a key villain in the Alien movies, is known for sacrificing its employees to study the xenomorphs. Another connection appears on the Yautja ship carrying Dek to Genna, hinting at a recent battle between the aliens and the Predators – a subtle echo of Predator 2, which also displayed a xenomorph skull in a Predator’s lair.

Director Dan Trachtenberg has expressed interest in making a third Alien vs. Predator movie, but hasn’t officially said one is in the works. Still, it’s no accident that both the Alien and Predator series are popular again. Trachtenberg’s contributions have made Predator especially successful, and Alien is back with new projects like Alien: Romulus and Alien: Earth. With both franchises revitalized, another crossover seems likely – it’s been almost twenty years since these two worlds collided.

Predator: Badlands takes the Predator story in a completely new direction. It offers a much closer look at the Predators themselves – their culture and history – and hints at exciting things to come for the franchise. Recent installments appear to be building toward a larger story that could completely redefine our understanding of the Yautja.

Predator: Badlands is currently playing in theaters.

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2025-11-11 05:07