Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Best Hero Has A Secret Brother
One of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most iconic characters has an action-hero brother that most fans don’t know about. Dutch, Schwarzenegger’s character in Predator, has a brother named John Schaefer, who has played a prominent role in the comics based on the movie. The Dark Horse published comics have turned Dutch’s brother into a recurring character who is every bit the hero Dutch was in the original film.
John Schaefer
The 1987 sci-fi action movie Predator launched a universe of movie sequels, books, and comic books featuring John Schaefer. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Jese Ventura, and Shane Black, the original movie featured a group of American soldiers hunted down by a terrifying human-hunting alien. Dutch is the film’s ultimate hero, managing to kill the predator with bravery, ingenuity, and 80s action movie explosions.
Staple Of The Predator Comic Universe
The Dark Horse comic universe continues the story of the movies, building the lore of The Predator alien race, the Yautja, and their activities on Earth. While Dutch himself isn’t a central character in the comics, having disappeared after the events of Predator, his older brother John Schaefer has become a prominent fixture because of his connection with Dutch. John’s primary goal in the comics is to find his missing brother, bringing him naturally into conflict with the Yautja.
First Appearance
Created by Mark Varheiden, Chris Warner, and Ron Randall for the Dark Horse Predator comic universe, John Schafer has appeared in five different comics. Originally appearing in Predator: Concrete Jungle, Varheiden and Randall brought the character back for Cold War and Dark River, which chronicled his introduction to the Yautja and followed his quest to find Dutch. Other creators picked John up to include in their own stories, and he is currently appearing in the Predator: The Last Hunt series.
Comics Influence The Film Franchise
The Predator films often draw from the canon established by the comic book universe, so John Schaefer may someday appear in the movies. The most notable example of the comics influencing the films is the existence of the Alien vs. Predator movies, a concept and title popularized by the comic of the same name. As the franchise continues to pump out sequels, elements of the comic books will almost certainly continue to make their way into the films.
The Return Of Dutch
John Schaefer makes perfect sense as an element for the movies to pick up from the Dark Horse comics. As the origin point of the franchise, connections to the original Predator always hold more weight than other in-universe references. Introducing a character with a personal connection to Dutch would be a great point of connection for fans of the original film; it could even reintroduce Arnold Schwarzenegger or give him a cameo.
Dutch is one of the greatest action movie heroes of all time and one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s defining roles. The Predator comics have given the larger-than-life character more direct connections to the world and fleshed him out by giving him a brother in John Schaefer. The fact that he’s only appeared in the comics may make him a bit niche, but John is a great addition to Predator lore many fans don’t know about.
