PREDATOR: BADLANDS Almost Featured Dutch, a Xenomorph, and More
In a recent interview, Dan Trachtenberg opened up about early plans for Predator: Badlands that would’ve pulled in some franchise icons from both the Predator and Alien universes.
While the finished film keeps its focus tight, there was a version that nearly delivered a few cameos longtime fans would’ve liked to see.
Predator: Badlands follows a young Yautja named Dek, who reluctantly teams up with Thia, a damaged Weyland-Yutani synthetic. That connection alone firmly ties the film into the larger Alien mythology. But at one point, the cross-franchise DNA ran even deeper.
There’s already a blink-and-you-miss-it nod to Naru from Prey hidden in the Yautja archives when Dek searches for a planet to prove himself. However, Trachtenberg revealed that the original cut went much further.
Speaking to ScreenRant, he confirmed that holographic references to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dutch, a Xenomorph, and even “the backbiter creature from Killer of Killers” were once part of the scene.
Those moments didn’t survive the edit. Trachtenberg explained: "They had a longer conversation, or they said the same idea of 'Pick Your Planet,' and all that stuff, but it was a little bit longer.
“So there were more holograms to be in the background. And what we have now is more soft focus in the foreground, you kind of see it and all that."
The scene was trimmed down significantly, and with it went those clearer glimpses of franchise heavyweights. Instead of loading the frame with recognizable icons, the film keeps the focus on its central characters and their story.
That decision reflects a bigger creative goal Trachtenberg has for the series. "The thing we haven't gotten in all the great sci-fi we've enjoyed over the years is that it's the creatures, it's their movie, that's it, no humans.
“And then, I had other cool thoughts for what Naru could do in the future and was like, 'Oh, that would be awesome for that.' But I could feel it."
He clearly sees more story to tell, especially when it comes to Naru. There’s even an alternate version of events in his head where her path crosses directly with Dek’s.
"There's definitely a version where you find Naru on that planet, and she has to [survive], and they meet," Trachtenberg continued. "I could see that version and didn't want to spend all the chips right away."
That restraint might pay off down the line. The animated film Predator: Killer of Killers already established that Naru, Dutch, and Mike Harrigan are being held in cryogenic stasis on Yautja Prime. That setup feels like a loaded weapon waiting to go off.
Trachtenberg isn’t saying exactly when or how those threads will come together, but he’s clearly thinking about the future of the franchise.
"I'm in this zone of dreaming up more, like I said, as I had been previously. And then Paramount is this incredible opportunity to make original things that have been in my heart and mind for a long time.
"I'm thrilled to have a place to make them theatrically. And they also have some very cool IP that I could now get to think about, like, "Oh, what might I do with that?" So, it's a simultaneous thing."
Between the Yautja lore, the Weyland-Yutani connection, and those frozen legacy characters sitting out there in canon, it feels like the stage is being set for something big.
Whether that leads to another Alien vs. Predator showdown or something completely unexpected, Trachtenberg seems determined to keep expanding the universe without blowing every surprise in a single movie.