Predator: Badlands Timeline Opens Door For Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley Return

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With the release of Predator: Badlands, the Alien and Predator series have expanded to their furthest point yet, potentially opening the door for Sigourney Weaver to reprise her role as Ripley’s clone. Considering the numerous films in both the Alien and Predator franchises—not to mention the two Alien vs. Predator movies—it can be challenging to piece together a cohesive timeline for the entire story.

While making Predator: Badlands, director Dan Trachtenberg knew that new Alien projects – the film Alien: Romulus and a TV series called Alien: Earth – were also being developed. To avoid conflicts with their storylines, Trachtenberg explained to Variety that his Predator sequel is deliberately set far in the future for both franchises.

Releasing this story between sequels was a good decision, as it avoids creating confusing plot inconsistencies. The ending of Predator: Badlands hints at a future story for the hero Yautja Dek, and interestingly, it also leaves the possibility open for Sigourney Weaver to reprise her role.

Predator: Badlands Placement In The Timeline Opens Up A Possible Return For Ripley 8

Prior to Predator: Badlands, the most forward-looking story in either the Alien or Predator series was Alien Resurrection, taking place in 2381. This was roughly 200 years after the events of Aliens and Alien 3, which accounted for the more sophisticated technology – including weapons, space travel, and cloning – shown in the film.

This made it possible to bring back Sigourney Weaver after her character, Ripley, seemingly died in Alien 3. In Resurrection (1997), Weaver plays Ripley 8, a clone of the original Ellen Ripley. This clone also has alien DNA, which gives her greater strength, speed, and, like the aliens, blood that’s acidic.

Ripley 8 lived through the events of Alien Resurrection, and even appeared in the novel Original Sin, but she hasn’t been in another film since. Since Predator: Badlands takes place after Resurrection, and the Predators often hunt and collect the most skilled fighters in the galaxy, it’s quite possible Ripley 8 could have been one of their targets.

Similar to previous characters like Dutch and Naru, Ripley could potentially be revived through cryopreservation, as depicted in the animated series Predator: Killer of Killers. Essentially, a new Predator movie set after the events of Predator 2 could easily bring Sigourney Weaver back for one final performance as Ripley.

Why Alien Resurrection’s Ripley Clone Was Controversial

It’s well known that Alien Resurrection isn’t a fan favorite. Compared to earlier films in the series, it’s much more lighthearted and over-the-top, filled with witty one-liners thanks to screenwriter Joss Whedon. Interestingly, Whedon himself wasn’t happy with how the movie turned out, believing the final product didn’t do his script justice.

Ripley 8 also proved to be a divisive character. Some fans felt bringing her back after her apparent death undermined the impact of her previous sacrifice, and many found that her cloned version didn’t feel like the same person.

What made Ripley 8 so compelling was her unique combination of traits – she was a blend of the original Ripley, a Xenomorph, and a rebellious teenager. Sigourney Weaver seemed to enjoy playing this more playful side of the character much more than the deeply troubled Ripley in Alien 3.

Despite her preference for playing the original Ripley over her clone, Sigourney Weaver seems interested in returning for a possible fifth Alien film. The movie is being developed with Walter Hill, a producer on the series, and Weaver has spoken positively about the 50 pages of script that have been written.

It’s currently unclear if a sixth Alien film will be made. While it seems unlikely director Trachtenberg intended to bring Sigourney Weaver’s character into the Predator universe when he set Badlands so far in the future, the film’s placement in the timeline does leave that door open.

Would Sigourney Weaver Sign On For A Predator Movie?

This raises the question of whether Sigourney Weaver would be interested in a Predator: Badlands sequel. She famously asked for her character, Ripley, to die at the end of Alien 3 because she was worried studio executives would force her to star in a potential Alien vs Predator movie, which they were already discussing at the time.

She wasn’t criticizing the Predator films themselves, but simply felt the idea of combining Alien and Predator felt like a cheap trick. Both series have changed a lot over the years, so it’s unclear if Sigourney Weaver is even aware of how well the newer Predator films have been received.

Ripley is the character that launched Weaver’s career and is very important to her. If she were to reprise the role, she’d want it to be a satisfying conclusion. Therefore, a smaller role in a sequel to Predator: Badlands probably wouldn’t give Ripley the ending Weaver envisions.

Considering the connections between Badlands and the Alien movies, a sequel could potentially include creatures from the Xenomorph universe. However, that risks repeating the Alien vs. Predator approach, which was a key reason Sigourney Weaver initially left the franchise. Despite this, a compelling script that also gives Ripley a satisfying conclusion might convince her to return.

If Sigourney Weaver can’t appear in a new movie, perhaps her character, Ripley, could return through a sequel to the ‘Killer of Killers’ story arc. The success of Prey has opened up a lot of possibilities for the Predator franchise, and it would be great to see Weaver involved in its future.

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2025-11-16 00:39