The Predator: Badlands trailer hints at major changes to the series. Discover all the easter eggs and plot secrets you may have missed.
The Predator franchise has always been about fear, adrenaline, and the ultimate struggle to survive. With the official trailer out now for Predator: Badlands, the nontraditional approach is sure to excite fans of the iconic alien hunter as it looks to completely alter the narrative landscape of the franchise.
A New Setting, A New Era: Welcome to the Badlands
The biggest change within the Predator: Badlands trailer is obviously the setting. Rather than dense Central American jungles, as seen in the original classic in 1987, or urban chaos, like we see in Predator 2, this time we have a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland, called “The Badlands”, as both the setting and the title of the installment.
The setting appears to be unforgiving—dust storms, collapsing buildings, abandoned military equipment—and establishes the groundwork for a survivalist, almost Western-style adventure/thriller. The landscape recalls Mad Max meets The Revenant, and it feels like it is more than just stylistic changes. The Badlands themselves feel tied to the core mystery of the story.
The Human Characters: Military Vets, Outlaws, and a Mysterious Scientist
The new trailer showcases a grim cast of characters who all appear to have their share of trauma:
Major Elena Cruz (portrayed by Rosa Salazar) – A former military strategist gone mercenary, who is born out of her stoic expressions and combat abilities, which denote that she is the prime protagonist of this film. Her line from the trailer – “This isn’t just a hunt. It’s a test.” portrays that there is more to the Predator’s mission than it appears.
Jace Ryder (portrayed by Boyd Holbrook) – A rogue survivalist operating off the grid. After returning to the franchise from last year’s The Predator (2018), Holbrook takes on a totally different character here.
Dr. Kieran Mali (portrayed by Riz Ahmed) – A mysterious scientist who, according to his cryptic-sounding trailer dialogue, is talking about “genetic experiments” and “interdimensional pulses.” He may hold the key to answering why the Predators have returned.
The Predators: Evolved, Enhanced, and Smart
One of the most tantalizing elements hinted at in this trailer is the Predators’ evolution. Gone are the simple-minded alien hunters; these alien assassins may have evolution — both biological and tactical — on their side.
The Big Twist: Are the Predators Helpers or Pawns in a Game?
Now we get to the part where the trailer actually twists the rules of the franchise.
In a voiceover (possibly Dr. Mali), we hear, “You think they came to conquer? What if they were summoned?” If that line is any indicator, it could change everything we think we know about the Predator lore.
The Predators in Badlands may not be aggressors, but instead:
Failures of human experimentation,
Guardians summoned to protect humans from a larger extraterrestrial threat.
Pawns in an ancient battle over interplanetary dominance.
Trailer Breakdown: Scene-by-Scene Highlights
Now let’s dig into exploring some of the sequences in the trailer and their possible implications:
1. Opening Shot – A Crashing Pod
The trailer starts with an unlit SOS beacon followed by a half-buried pod. The pod was clearly forcefully buried, given the ripped-apart interior and figured piled upon by some predator’s blood. The implication we are led to believe is not that the Badlands were chosen, but rather targeted.
2. Flashback Montage – The War That Never Happened
The flashbacks montaged short clips of military battling, brief shots of prior secret experiments, and a predator in stasis in a cryo-chamber. Could this be telling us that we had ever defeated a predator before and simply erased it from public record?
3. Desert Ambush – New Predator Hunting Tactic
Probably one of the more heart-racing moments includes a Predator using drones to flush out enemies from behind rock formations. This change of approach shows they are using military-style tactics – a frightening development.
4. The Mirror Cave – Alien Symbols & Ancient Lore
Elena Cruz discovers a hidden underground chamber that has symbols that look like an early version of human language crossed with Yautja hieroglyphics. This scene points heavily to an interaction or connection between humans and the Predator species, perhaps an ancient tie.
5. The Final Standoff – Three-Way Predator Battle
It seems that the trailer should end, yet it crescendos with three Predators battling with each other in a room of flames. It suggests that there is a civil war or revolution going on inside their ranks. One of them wears, possibly human, dog tags on its waist – is it a hybrid? A rebel?
Franchised Legacy: Where Badlands fits in
Predator: Badlands looks to sit in a very interesting place within the franchise. It is not a direct sequel nor a reboot – it has a spiritual evolution that builds upon everything before it while creating it own independent space.
This is how it fits:
Lore building – It respects the past of elite humans vs alien hunters but adds the sci-fi elements of alien technology, ancient civilizations, and interplanetary war.
Cinematic Style: Directed by Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane, Prey), the film has an atmospheric, psychological edge. There is more atmosphere and dread and less focus on extreme action.
Diversity & Depth: With a diverse cast and multilayered characters, the film takes a step back from the typical macho characters, bringing a more emotionally structured envisioning.
Fan Reactions and Theories
Since the release of the trailer, social media has straight-up lit up with speculation. Here are the most viral fan theories circulating:
Time Loop Theory – Some are claiming that the Badlands are a future Earth replete with Predator tech, and the characters are stuck in a loop trying to prevent a timeline from repeating.
Human-Predator Hybrid Lead – One of the Predators shown could be the product of being raised in captivity by an off-the-books military organization.
Dr. Mali is the Villain – Multiple fans are speculating about Riz Ahmed’s character, claiming he is reverse-engineering Predator DNA, which caused the catastrophe to summon them back.
Reddit forums, especially r/PredatorLore and r/Movie, are filled with trailer breakdowns, frame-by-frame screenshots, and discussions about the franchise’s bold new directions.
What This Means for the Predator Franchise
If the hints in the trailer are correct, Predator: Badlands will be the springboard for a completely new trilogy or cinematic universe. The inclusion of ancient symbols, otherworldly dangers, and civil war among the Predators opens the door to prequels, spinoffs, and maybe even crossover films.
Does this mean characters from the rumored Predator vs Engineer from the drafts of early Prometheus become an actual film event? Does that mean a Predator home world movie?
One thing is certain – Badlands is not just another entry in the franchise; it is a complete narrative reboot with grand aspirations and a much wider mythological scope.
Why “Predator: Badlands” Could Save The Franchise
The Predator: Badlands trailer does more than tease a new story; it redefines what a Predator film can be. The spooky imagery, mature themes, and ambiguous alliances reveal the opportunity for new narratives that can respawn a franchise that struggled to decide which direction to traverse.
If the film lives up to the trailers’ promises, Badlands could very well be the Predator film we have been yearning for since the original.
FAQs
1. What is Predator: Badlands about?
Predator: Badlands is set in a post-apocalyptic desert region known as “The Badlands,” where a new version of Predators has arisen. It hints at elements of survival, alien cultures, and perhaps a larger war across the galaxy. The trailer states that “the Predators may not be the only problem” or “may not be the only villains.”
2. Is it a sequel or a reboot?
Neither a sequel nor a total reboot. Predator: Badlands is a stand-alone installment that adds scope to the existing mythology, incorporated with lore from previous installments, but that is no story or chronology, and it isn’t the same story as previous movies, nor the same settings.
3. Who are the main characters of Predator: Badlands?
Main characters include:
Major Elena Cruz (Rosa Salazar) is a hardened ex-military officer.
Jace Ryder (Boyd Holbrook) – a rogue survivalist with knowledge of alien technology.
Dr. Kieran Mali (Riz Ahmed) – a scientist connected to the Predators, but seems kind of mysterious.
4. Are the Predators different in this film?
Yes. The trailer shows the evolved predators with advanced technology, such as adaptive holographic armor, dual blades, and the ability to speak in hypothetical English. The new evolutions imply they are the smartest, fastest, and with the most comprehensive strategy we’ve seen yet.