Fans of the Alien and Predator franchises have a thrilling year ahead in 2025. The excitement begins with two new Predator films from the acclaimed director of Prey, Dan Trachtenberg. First up is the live-action film, Predator: Badlands, followed by the animated Hulu series, Predator: Killer of Killers. Meanwhile, the Alien universe expands with a new FX series, Alien: Earth, helmed by Noah Hawley, the creative mind behind Fargo and Legion. Although these projects are not yet officially linked, the shared history of Alien and Predator in a unified universe, through films, comics, and video games, keeps fans hopeful for a crossover.
Recent promotional materials for Predator: Badlands and Alien: Earth suggest Disney might be laying the groundwork for another Alien vs. Predator (AVP) event. Let's delve deeper into these developments and explore why a new AVP film could be on the horizon.
Evil Easter Eggs ----------------The teaser trailer for Predator: Badlands has sparked speculation among fans about a potential AVP revival. It introduces Elle Fanning as a Weyland-Yutani synthetic character linked to a new Predator named Dek, confirmed by Trachtenberg as the film's protagonist. While a Weyland-Yutani android in a Predator film isn't unprecedented due to the franchises' history of crossover elements, the significance grows with new promotional content for Alien: Earth.
The Gestation Complete teaser for Alien: Earth is packed with Alien lore Easter eggs. It showcases the black liquid mutagen from Prometheus, used by the Engineers to seed life on Earth, leading to an egg sac reminiscent of one seen in Alien: Romulus. A mutated creature, resembling a facehugger, emerges from this sac aboard a ship called the Maginot, which echoes the Nostromo from the original Alien. This creature, labeled "Species 37" and with unknown DNA according to the ship's computer, MU-TH-UR, hints that it could be the initial clue that led Weyland-Yutani to the Xenomorphs, set two years before the events of Alien.
A related teaser, Crate, features specimen containers and a narrator mentioning the ship collected five unique life forms from the universe's darkest corners. While a classic Xenomorph is shown, the mention of five species suggests a broader expansion of alien creatures. This could tie into Predator: Badlands, set on an alien world where Dek hunts extraterrestrial beasts. Perhaps Elle Fanning's android was involved in collecting these specimens, or one of these creatures might mutate into something we'll see in Badlands or Killer of Killers. Although unconfirmed, the possibility of Predator DNA in Alien: Earth is tantalizing.Alien and Predator’s Long, Intertwined History
The shared universe of Alien and Predator dates back to a 1989 Dark Horse comic series, Aliens vs. Predator, before their cinematic clash in the 2004 AVP film. Predator 2 hinted at this connection with a Xenomorph skull on the Predator's trophy wall. Despite the release of two AVP films in the 2000s, the series struggled due to mixed reception, despite box office success. The timing was off; while superhero and sci-fi franchises were burgeoning, AVP was treated as a lesser property by 20th Century Fox, despite the iconic status of earlier films like Ridley Scott's Alien, James Cameron's Aliens, and John McTiernan's Predator.
The 2010s saw further challenges with Ridley Scott's Prometheus series stalling after Alien: Covenant, and Shane Black's The Predator failing to revitalize the franchise. However, successes like Prey in 2022 and Alien: Romulus in 2024 have reinvigorated both franchises, setting the stage for a potential AVP revival.
AnswerSee ResultsConverging for Carnage ----------------------A sequel to Alien: Romulus is in development, with director Fede Álvarez returning and expressing interest in directing an AVP film. Romulus was a critical and commercial hit, revitalizing the franchise while maintaining connections to the Prometheus series. Its protagonists, Rain Carradine and Andy, are in stasis heading to Yvaga III, setting up potential connections with Predator: Badlands, also set in space. Álvarez envisions a surprise crossover, suggesting a Predator could appear unexpectedly in an Alien film, or vice versa, to maximize impact.
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Álvarez's enthusiasm for an AVP film offers hope for a successful revival. The previous films' Earth-bound settings and lack of character depth limited their appeal. A new AVP could start fresh, possibly featuring Dek as the lead if he survives Badlands. Further, exploring the Predalien concept and introducing a hybrid creature, perhaps influenced by Engineer mutagen, could be a terrifying new direction.
With both Alien and Predator franchises thriving, the idea of an AVP crossover is increasingly likely. Disney's interest in such a high-profile event, combined with the involvement of talented filmmakers like Álvarez and Trachtenberg, suggests that a new AVP film is a matter of when, not if. These iconic monsters might soon get the epic battle fans have been craving.
