Dan Trachtenberg Says MCU Inspired His Vision for the Predator Universe as AVP Connections Expand
Since Prey hit Hulu in 2022, Dan Trachtenberg has been shaping what feels like the most exciting era of the Predator franchise in decades. His breakout entry didn’t just breathe new life into the series, it dug into its history, expanded the lore, and hinted that a much bigger universe was waiting in the shadows.
Now, with Predator: Badlands on the horizon, Trachtenberg’s plans for this evolving mythos are starting to come into focus, and the Alien vs. Predator connections are growing stronger.
Following Prey, the animated anthology Predator: Killer of Killers tied together decades of storytelling. The project united Naru from Prey, Danny Glover’s Mike Harrigan from Predator 2, and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dutch Schaefer from the original film, which was a cool move that made fans realize there’s a long-term plan taking shape.
The upcoming Predator: Badlands is another sharp turn for the series. Instead of centering on a human hunted by a Yautja, this film flips the script and a Predator takes center stage as the protagonist, fighting through brutal conditions to prove himself worthy.
It’s a survival story from the hunter’s perspective, and the trailer already teases connective tissue to the Alien universe, hinting at a grander design.
When Trachtenberg sat down with ComicBook during the Badlands press tour, he opened up about the future and what fans can expect from all these crossover threads, and his answer was straight out of the MCU playbook.
“In my mind, what made Avengers work was that it wasn’t the first MCU movie and it wasn’t the second MCU movie. That we had spent time bonding with characters and their individual stories and making sure that those individual movies were cool and had interesting premises unto themselves.
“So if we were to ever do something where things collide, it would be after we’ve gotten to know and bonded with things in their own individual stories.”
That’s a pretty clear signal that Trachtenberg isn’t rushing an Avengers-style team-up just for spectacle. He’s taking the long road by building character-driven stories first, then connecting them naturally when the time is right.
And when asked about fans calling him the “Kevin Feige” of the Predator franchise, Trachtenberg responded:
“I take that as a compliment because I think Kevin Feige is a genius and what he created is unprecedented in the history of cinema. I’ve just made a couple of good Predator movies so far, and hoping for a third. So yeah, we’ll see how that turns out.”
The Predator series has had a wild history, from cult status to critical struggles, but with Prey, Killer of Killers, and the upcoming Badlands, it’s suddenly found itself in prime shape.
Fans are invested again, the mythology is expanding, and the Alien connections are fueling speculation about an inevitable crossover revival.
If Trachtenberg keeps steering the ship this way, Predator could be on its way to becoming the next big interconnected sci-fi universe. What are your thoughts on the future of this franchise under the direction of Trachtenberg?