Prey 2 Isn’t The Predator Sequel We Need

2010’s Predators was the third stand-alone film in the Predator film universe, not accounting that the Alien Vs. Predator films confoundingly exist outside of the main Predator continuity. The film centers on a group of elite warriors hailing from different cultural backgrounds across the Earth as they wake up in a strange and unimaginable foreign land. Before long, the cast of characters locate one another and discover that they have been transported to a distant planet reserved for Yautja hunters to stalk the most dangerous game.

The film touts an all-star ensemble cast of massive talent, including Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne, Topher Grace, Walton Goggins, Danny Trejo, and Mahershala Ali. Furthermore, Predators introduces the audience to various fascinating elements within the Yautja culture, peeling back the curtain on some of the most fascinating discoveries yet. The most important discovery offered by the film is the existence of other races and factions of Predator warriors, some of whom tower over the already daunting classic hunter audiences know and fear.

The existence of these other Predator races opens up a laundry list of questions. For starters, this could mean that the Predators, which have terrorized the Earth for centuries in other film outings, are simply the smallest and most ineffective rookies of their kind, seeking practice before taking on real threats from other far-off planets. If this is the case, what chance would human fighters have against an army of berserker Yautjas from the comfort of their well-fortified kingdom of conquered worlds?

The final moments of Predators see a pair of surviving humans left behind on the interplanetary hunting grounds, leaving audiences to wonder how long they can survive in this foreign land and if there’s any hope of returning to their home planet. While Predator films generally shy away from having actors return to future films to reprise their roles, the movies usually offer some minor easter egg referencing previous characters through well-placed props, brief lines of dialogue, or other means of visual communication. No film in the franchise has left the comfort of the planet Earth since Predators, meaning audiences have received no indication about the status of the remaining characters.

Fans of the Predator franchise will no doubt be overjoyed to receive numerous films of the Yautja hunters terrorizing their way across Earth cultures and periods as they did in Prey. Suppose 20th Century Studios wishes to continue offering Predators slashing their way across feudal Japan, pirate ships, and the American Civil War. In that case, those films still have great potential to perform well and please audiences. However, a film that showcases more of the Predator home worlds and brings human beings into interstellar territory to handle these aggressive aliens would serve as the most exciting and eventful outing the franchise has ever seen.