Major Spoilers for Predator: Killer of Killers are below!

Summary

Predator: Killer of Killers introduces new Yautja lore and potentially sets the stage for Schwarzenegger's return.
The cryo pods and warehouse of warriors pose the perfect setup for numerous returning Predator characters.
The Predator franchise's future looks promising with unique installments like Predator: Badlands and endless possibilities.

Predator: Killer of Killers introduces a unique element that makes Arnold Schwarzenegger's franchise return possible. Schwarzenegger kicked off the franchise as the star of 1987's Predator. 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's Predator: Badlands following a Yautja protagonist.

Trachtenberg has been at the helm of the Predator franchise following the success of his 2022 entry Prey, which features Amber Midthunder as a Comanche warrior named Naru. Predator: Killer of Killers is 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 of Predator: Killer of Killers also leaves the door wide open for the return of surviving characters throughout the years, including Schwarzenegger.

Predator Killer Of Killers - All Predators In The Movie, Ranked

Predator: Killer Of Killers - Every Predator In The Movie, Ranked

Here's a look at all the major Predator variants that appear in Predator: Killer of Killers, ranked by how their hunting skills compare.

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By Vlad Mazanko

Though Teased At Times, Arnold Schwarzenegger Has Never Returned To The Predator Franchise

After the success of Predator, the studio greenlit a sequel, with Schwarzenegger expected to reprise his role as Dutch in the follow-up film. However, scheduling conflicts with Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which offered him a significantly larger payday, saw the actor take the iconic role rather than bouts with alien hunters. Predator 2 was 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, numerous Predator sequels had plans 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's The Predator was 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's Alien 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 Killers finally provides a unique way.

The Ending Of Predator: Killer Of Killers Sets Up A Way For Schwarzenegger's Dutch To Return

predator killer of killers naru ending — predator killer of killers - naru ending

In each of the three stories told in Predator: 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 told Polygon:

So the movie was made under the code name Warehouse, as that end moment was in the original idea pitch to the studio, and it felt like the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Killer of Killers also sees a quick shot of Naru from Prey in 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 in Predator: 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 character who has killed a Yautja could be among the cryo pods, frozen throughout time until the Predators choose to thaw them out for sport. Danny Glover from Predator 2, Adrien Brody and Alice Braga from Predators, and even Boyd Holbrook from The Predator are on the table if they choose to explore the cryo pod setup in full. Killer of Killers sets up many possibilities, including Prey 2, but their plans may rest with the success of Predator: Badlands in November.

The Predator Franchise's Future Is Full Of Endless Possibilities And Opportunities

Predator: Badlands features a Yautja protagonist, a unique take on the series that audiences haven't seen. Rumors also point toward the potential of another Alien vs. Predator film, as Badlands has a team-up between the Predator and a Weyland-Yutani android, which has been shown in the trailers. Some fans have been hoping to see Prey 2, as the film has become a beloved sequel, which Predator: Killer of Killers sets up in its closing moments.

Predator: Killer of Killers also poses the potential for endless anthology-style installments, following warriors from different points in time as they battle Yautja. While Prey was a feature film, Killer of Killers offers 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 the Killer of Killers animation could make sense, allowing the character to still be younger in franchise lore. While plans for the series beyond Predator: Badlands remain unclear, Predator: Killer of Killers has left the door open for numerous sequel possibilities, posing an exciting future.

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