After the failure of 2018’sThe Predator, it looked like the franchise was finished, but then came 2022’sPrey. Despite being disrespected with a Hulu-only release,Dan Trachtenberg’s film took everything in a new direction by going to the past. If the alien Predators have been around for hundreds of years, how about a story where one attacks a Native American tribe in the 1700s? This was not only an exciting take, but it created a cool new hero. While no one will ever be able to match whatArnold Schwarzeneggerdid as Dutch in the originalPredator,Amber Midthunder’s turn as Naru is as close as you’re going to get. Schwarzenegger was only ever in the first movie, buta shocking image from the final scene ofPredator: Killer of Killersmakes it possible to bring Arnold back.It’s time to put Dutch and Naru togetherto kick some ass!
‘Predator: Killer of Killers’ Is an Anthology Film With a Bigger Story
Later this year, the Predator franchise will be returning to the big screen, and with Dan Trachtenberg at the helm, forPredator: Badlands. With it getting a theatrical releaseand a big twist shown in the teaser trailer, it’s certain to be an exciting film. On top of that, we also got what felt like a little bonus treat with the announcement of the animated anthology movie,Predator: Killer of Killer, also directed by Trachtenberg, coming out on Hulu. The thought for many had to be, “Oh, that should be a pretty cool flick while we wait for the bigger one,” butKiller of Killersended up scoringthe highest Tomatometer score of any Predator movie.
Predator: Killer of Killersanswered the “what ifs” many fans had afterPrey. What if we saw an alien fighting humans during the days of the Vikings? What if they were there in the days of the Samurai? What if they attacked humanity during World War II? This ended up being so much more than an anthology fan service, though, asthe twist reveals that our heroes from each of these stories are collected by the aliens to fight to the death, with the winner intending to battle the Predator warlord. At the end, with Ursa (Lindsay LaVanchy) not being able to get away, she’s put into suspended animation. There, we see other frozen human victors, ready as playthings to be used for future battles.Among them is an unconscious Naru.
Dan Trachtenberg Has Already Teased Dutch’s Fate
Preyhad a happy ending of sorts, with Naru killing the Predator. She then tells her tribe that they need to move, and although Naru and what’s left of her people are still alive at the end, an end credits painting depicts alien spaceships headed their way. That was interpreted as the fight continuing, but withKiller of Killers,we now know that more Predators came to Earth and collected Naru. Her prize for winning was that she was taken as their trophy to be used again later. That’s a fate worse than death.
‘Predator: Killer of Killers’ Places This Cult Favorite Actor in This Exclusive Sci-Fi Club
Only two other actors have achieved this honor.
If that’s what happened to Naru, does that mean the same thing happened to Dutch(Schwarzenegger)after he killed that “ugly motherfucker"at the end ofPredator? Dan Trachtenberg was asked this exact question in an interview withPolygon, to which he responded, “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.”
The Opportunity Is There To Bring Arnold Schwarzenegger Back to Predator
Arnold Schwarzenegger was only ever in the firstPredatorfilm. Although Dutch survived his clash with the alien hunter,1990’s underratedPredator 2took place in 1997 Los Angelesand starredDanny Glover, trading the jungle setting for the city. There wouldn’t be another Predator filmuntil 2004’sAlien vs. Predator, but by then, the Terminator had become the Governator and was no longer acting.
Today, Schwarzenegger continues to act,from his Netflix seriesFUBARto too many returns to the Terminator franchise, but now is the perfect time to have him return to another iconic franchise and not have it feel forced. If Naru is up there at the end ofKiller of Killers, that means Dutch has to be up there as well.A sequel could see both champions brought out of stasis, forced to battle each other, but turning their focus to fighting the Predatorsand escaping their confines.
There is an issue with that, of course, seeing as how Arnold is now 77. That would really only matter if aKiller of Killerssequel were a live-action film, and even that can be gotten around,just as an aging Schwarzenegger was explained in later Terminator sequels. The better option, however, would be to continue the jaw-dropping visuals and success ofKiller of Killerswith another animated movie. There, both Amber Midthunder and Arnold Schwarzenegger could return to voice Naru and Dutch, andArnold could get to be in peak shape one more time. And just imagine the combativeness and chemistry between a Vietnam vet from the 1980s combined with a Native American warrior woman from the 1700s. The drama writes itself! Together, despite their differences, they’d be sure to kick some Predator ass and win the day. All I need is one animated scene of our heroes on the run, and Dutch yelling out one more time to Naru, “Get to the choppa!”
Predator: Killer of Killers
