00:07Ever since Predator Badlands ended, fans have been talking about what the future of the Predator
00:12franchise could look like, because the movie completely changed the direction of the series
00:16in a way nobody really expected. Instead of just giving audiences another simple hunter versus
00:21human story, the film focused heavily on Yautja culture, family conflict, survival,
00:27and even emotional character development through Deck. That is why so many people now believe
00:32Predator 7 could either become a direct Badlands sequel or even transform into a brand new Alien
00:38vs. Predator movie that basically acts as Predator 7 at the same time. The ending of Badlands left a
00:45bunch of huge story threads open, and because of that, it feels almost impossible that Disney and
00:5120th Century Studios would just ignore them. Deck's journey was only beginning by the end of the
00:56movie. Even though he defeated his father in Jor and finally proved himself worthy, his problems
01:02were far from over. In fact, the final scene hinted that an even bigger conflict was about to begin,
01:08because Deck's mother arrived just as the dust settled. That moment felt less like an ending
01:14and more like the setup for the next chapter. Director Dan Trachtenberg already teased that Deck's
01:21mother will be extremely important moving forward. And what makes this even more interesting is because
01:26female Yautja have barely been explored in live-action before. They mostly appeared in comics,
01:32novels, and expanded lore, but never really had a major cinematic role. So now, Badlands has the
01:39chance to completely reinvent that side of Predator mythology. Trachtenberg even said he wants her
01:45introduction to feel unexpected and different from typical sci-fi tropes. That's a big deal,
01:51because the Predator franchise has always been centered around warriors, hunters, and brutal
01:56survival. But now the series is starting to dig deeper into Yautja society itself, and that opens
02:02the door for Predator 7 to become something much larger than fans are expecting. A bunch of people
02:08think the next movie could focus entirely on Deck fighting his mother for leadership or survival.
02:13But it could go way beyond that. If you really pay attention to how Badlands ended,
02:19the film quietly positioned Deck as a predator who no longer fully believes in the harsh traditions
02:24of his species. He's not just another hunter anymore. He survived Jenna, bonded with Thea,
02:31and started questioning the violent culture he grew up in. That creates the perfect foundation for
02:37a sequel. And the crazy thing is that there are already several directions the story could go.
02:42One path is obviously a straight-up Badlands continuation, where Deck teams up with characters
02:48like Amber Midthunder's Nauru from Prey. Since Nauru was reportedly kept prisoner on Yautja Prime,
02:55fans are already imagining a movie where Deck and Nauru work together to fight against his mother
03:01and reshape Predator society from the inside. That alone sounds massive enough for Predator 7.
03:07But another possibility feels even bigger, because Badlands also heavily connected the Predator
03:14universe to the Alien franchise again. And once fans saw that connection returning,
03:20theories about a new Alien vs. Predator instantly exploded online. The most important detail was
03:27Thea, played by Elle Fanning. Her character being tied to the Weyland-Yutani Corporation wasn't just a
03:34random Easter egg thrown in for longtime fans. It felt intentional. The movie was basically reminding
03:41audiences that the Alien and Predator universes still exist in the same canon timeline. So now,
03:47many fans think Predator 7 could secretly become the return of Alien vs. Predator.
03:53The timing could not be more perfect. For years, both franchises struggled badly.
03:58The Alien series lost momentum after movies like Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection divided audiences.
04:05Meanwhile, the Predator franchise also hit rough patches with films like The Predator and even
04:11Predators receiving mixed reactions. Although both series still had loyal fanbases, they felt stuck for
04:18a while. But then everything changed. Drachtenberg revived Predator with Prey by stripping the concept
04:25down to its basics again. Instead of giant explosions and complicated mythology, the movie focused on
04:32survival, tension, and one determined warrior fighting a terrifying hunter. That simpler approach
04:38made audiences fall in love with Predator again because it reminded them what made the original
04:43Predator so special in the first place. Then, Badlands pushed things even further by taking creative risks.
04:50Making Deck the main protagonist was honestly a gamble because fans were used to Predators being
04:56mysterious monsters, not emotional leads. But somehow, the movie made audiences care about him.
05:02That's a huge achievement for this franchise. At the same time, the Alien franchise also found new
05:09life again. Alien Romulus returned to the terrifying horror roots of the original movies. Instead of getting
05:16buried under complicated lore and philosophical storytelling, Romulus focused on claustrophobic fear
05:22and survival. The atmosphere felt grim, brutal, and genuinely scary again. Then, shows like Alien Earth
05:31expanded the world even more while keeping that horror tone intact. So now, both franchises are suddenly
05:38successful again at the exact same time. That is why a new Alien vs. Predator crossover feels inevitable.
05:46The older crossover films, especially Alien vs. Predator and Aliens vs. Predator Requiem, had a bunch of
05:53problems. Fans criticized the confusing timelines, weak human characters, and strange decisions like
06:00revealing Predators and Xenomorphs had secretly been visiting Earth for thousands of years. Those movies
06:07arrived during a low point for both franchises, so they never really had a strong creative foundation.
06:13But things are very different now. A modern Alien vs. Predator movie could use the continuity
06:19established by Prey, Badlands, Romulus, and Alien Earth to tell a much smarter and darker story.
06:27Instead of awkwardly forcing the franchises together, the crossover could naturally evolve from the Weyland-Yutani
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