Predator: Badlands’ Alien Connection Continues a Crossover Concept Going Back Decades

“Wouldn’t it beryllium chill if BLANK met BLANK?” is simply a question fans person asked each different for a agelong time, and occasionally we get an actual, authoritative answer. Whether it beryllium 2 antithetic rival comic publication companies joining forces for a large crossover, a hodgepodge of extracurricular IP inclusions successful a warring game, oregon 2 slasher icons yet facing disconnected acknowledgment to the rights to 1 of them swapping studios, we’ve seen immoderate notable events of this benignant done the years. Then the MCU caused an detonation successful the thought of a shared movie beingness akin to what comic books person agelong offered, with the likes of the Conjuring Universe, the DCEU (and present the DCU), and much exploring a larger satellite that allows for characters and concepts to freely interact with each different crossed aggregate projects. Still, Alien and Predator merit recognition for being aboriginal to this idea, adjacent arsenic their ain exploration of the conception has ebbed and flowed a lot done the decades.

Now, the caller movie Predator: Badlands is getting attraction for its salient usage of Weyland-Yutani, the enactment that has been a large portion of the Alien franchise since the start. Yet this is hardly the archetypal clip Alien and Predator person bled over…and sometimes bled on…each other, with a past that includes everything from amusive easter eggs to outright nonstop crossovers crossed aggregate media. So let’s look backmost astatine the past of these 2 franchises intersecting, and the agelong roadworthy to the thought becoming officially integrated into the halfway canon films.

It’s All Thanks to Comic Books

The archetypal Predator movie came retired successful 1987, 8 years aft the archetypal Alien. A large deed successful its ain right, Predator’s timing was besides notable, coming retired conscionable a twelvemonth removed from the large occurrence of 1986’s Aliens, the archetypal Alien sequel. There were immoderate innate, albeit basic, similarities successful the films, opening connected the firm side. Both movies were owned and released by 20th Century Fox, thing that would beryllium to beryllium cardinal to allowing crossovers without the ineligible hurdles that tin often curtail specified a thing. But much than that, some films were astir a visually distinctive and notably unsafe alien carnal warring humans, and portion the Alien movies were acceptable successful the aboriginal and Predator successful the present, determination was nary crushed to deliberation either taxon hadn’t been astir and would proceed to beryllium astir for a agelong time.

In 1988, Dark Horse Comics began publishing Aliens-branded comic books, and it was a speedy success, proving the entreaty to that rubric beyond the films. Both 20th Century Fox and Dark Horse were intelligibly pleased with the results; successful 1989, Dark Horse enactment retired their archetypal licensed Predator comic publication constricted bid arsenic well. Then, well, it’s really rather awesome however rapidly the 2 were pitted against each other, particularly erstwhile you see however caller Predator was arsenic a rubric astatine all.

Dark Horse’s Chris Warner is credited with being the 1 to archetypal suggest bringing the 2 extraterrestrial threats up against each different successful comic publication form, telling Syfy Wire successful 2018, “It’s a beauteous evident idea. When you say, ‘Ali vs. Frazier, King Kong vs. Godzilla, Aliens vs. Predator,’ the ideas conscionable exploded. You perceive the adage, ‘It astir wrote itself.' Well, it astir wrote itself.”

As 1989 came to a close, a three-part storyline was launched successful the black-and-white anthology series, Dark Horse Presents, but its existent interconnected quality was saved for the end. In Dark Horse Presents #34, readers got an Aliens story, and past successful contented #35, a Predator story. But past came Dark Horse Presents #36, with a screen that work “Aliens vs. Predator” among the database of that issue's stories and accompanying creation showing 1 of each taxon successful battle. And conscionable similar that, a large sub-franchise/spin-off connected to 2 different established franchises was born.

The screen of Dark Horse Presents #36 (Feb. 1990)

That archetypal Dark Horse Presents communicative was successful information a lead-in to a afloat Aliens vs. Predator five-issue constricted series, which launched successful the summertime of 1990. Some of the halfway elements of this comic, including the Predators hunting xenomorphs arsenic a rite of passage, and a concern forming betwixt the intelligent Predators and a quality (in this case, Machiko Noguchi, a colonist connected the satellite Ryushi) against the insect-like, monstrous Aliens, would beryllium explored further and echoed successful galore different stories that followed.

That archetypal constricted bid was a hit, and from past on, AVP (as it rapidly became commonly referred to) was a go-to conception for Dark Horse, adjacent arsenic they continued to people autarkic Aliens and Predator comics. For astir 30 years, until the rights to some properties would alteration hands aft Disney bought 20th Century Fox, and consequent Alien and Predator comics would determination to Marvel, Dark Horse would revisit Aliens vs. Predator successful assorted constricted series, one-shots, and abbreviated stories.

The First Movie Connection

When the archetypal Aliens vs. Predator constricted bid launched successful 1990, it was a large twelvemonth for Predator successful general. Just arsenic that comic bid was wrapping up, Predator 2 deed theaters, and with it came the accomplishment of arguably 1 of the biggest and astir tantalizing easter eggs successful franchise movie past up to that point.

In Predator 2’s conclusion, LA bull Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) follows the Predator he’s been battling onto its ship, and comes crossed a trophy partition which is covered successful skulls from erstwhile palmy Predator hunts. Some of these skulls are human, but galore are from assorted alien taxon which were created conscionable for Predator 2…except, astir notably, a ample freaking ALIEN skull that is precise intelligibly successful the signifier of a xenomorph.

A glimpse of a xenomorph skull successful the climactic series from Predator 2 (1990)

As idiosyncratic who is aged capable to remember, I tin archer you that adjacent successful a pre-Internet era, seeing this immense transportation betwixt the 2 franchises really appearing successful a movie was a large deal, and instantly had galore fans hyped for the implications and potential. For those of america who had been speechmaking the Aliens vs. Predator comic especially, this seemed similar a immense awesome that a movie mentation was imminent, and however chill would that be!?

However, those progressive person said determination were nary existent conversations astir making an Aliens vs. Predator movie astatine the time, and that the easter ovum was intended arsenic simply a amusive reference, not a committedness of thing to come. Moreso, they downplayed the AVP comic publication arsenic an influence, saying it was much of an in-joke implicit the information that legendary peculiar effects constitution creator Stan Winston had worked connected some Alien and Predator films.

But that didn’t halt fans from speculating astir the possibilities, that’s for sure…

Read All About It

Throughout the 1990s, Dark Horse kept publishing Aliens vs. Predator comics, with the conception yet expanding into books arsenic well. In 1994, the caller Aliens vs. Predator: Prey was published, featuring an adaptation of the archetypal AVP comic publication constricted series. Besides its subtitle, foreshadowing a rubric yet utilized for a Predator film, this publication besides stands retired arsenic the root for the sanction “Yautja” for the Predator species, thing that would stay existent successful each Predator media since past and aboriginal find its mode into the films.

Two much AVP novels – Aliens vs. Predator: Hunter's Planet and Aliens vs. Predator: War – would soon travel to signifier a connected trilogy with the archetypal book. After that, things stayed quiescent connected the AVP publication beforehand until 2016’s Alien vs. Predator: Armageddon. This publication took a leafage from the archetypal Dark Horse Presents AVP communicative by serving arsenic the concluding section to 2 earlier novels – Predator: Incursion and Alien: Invasion – that had been released with lone Alien oregon Predator branding, though they told 1 implicit story. More recently, 2022 saw the merchandise of 2 AVP books – an anthology titled Aliens vs. Predators: Ultimate Prey, and the standalone story, Aliens vs. Predators: Rift War.

Games Aplenty

Even if determination was thing being planned for the movies conscionable yet, 20th Century Fox intelligibly saw that the Aliens vs. Predator conception could person a beingness beyond the printed page. Shortly earlier the archetypal AVP publication was released, the conception besides made its archetypal leap into video games with 1993’s Alien vs. Predator for the SNES, which was a side-scrolling beat-'em-up wherever you play arsenic a Predator taking connected 1 xenomorph aft another. That aforesaid twelvemonth saw a Game Boy merchandise arsenic well, Alien vs. Predator: The Last of His Clan. This was past followed by a antithetic game, besides conscionable called Alien vs. Predator, for arcades successful 1994, which had 4 selectable characters to take from, including 2 antithetic Predators and 2 quality cyborgs…one of whom was Arnold Schwarzenegger's quality Dutch from the archetypal Predator movie! While nary of these games are identical successful mounting oregon story, they bash stock the aforesaid basal side-scrolling attack to Alien fighting.

That would alteration with different 1994 release, the Alien vs. Predator crippled for the Atari Jaguar. This crippled was AVP’s instauration to the realm of first-person shooters and besides had players changing perspectives betwixt humans (in the signifier of Colonial Marines, arsenic introduced successful Aliens), Predators, and adjacent xenomorphs depending connected the level.

This speedy glut of AVP games would past pb to immoderate clip disconnected earlier the conception was revisited successful 1999 with the Aliens Versus Predator PC game, which told its ain communicative portion heavy echoing the Jaguar game’s attack via different FPS wherever you play arsenic an Alien, Predator, oregon Colonial Marine astatine assorted stages. This was followed by a 2002 sequel, the cleverly titled Aliens Versus Predator 2, portion the Alien/Predator/Colonial Marine attack would beryllium utilized yet again successful 2003’s PS2 and Xbox release, Aliens Versus Predator: Extinction, though Extinction was alternatively a real-time strategy game.

As the AVP movies were released successful the mid-aughts (more connected those successful a moment), immoderate forgettable tie-in games came retired arsenic well, including an Alien vs. Predator mobile crippled successful 2004 and the PlayStation Portable’s Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem successful 2007. And though the decidedly mediocre absorption to the Requiem movie enactment an extremity to the AVP movies (for now?), the conception would inactive effect successful a mates much self-contained games.

Another FPS featuring – you guessed it – Aliens, Predators, and Colonial Marines arsenic playable characters, the 2010 Aliens vs. Predator crippled for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 stands arsenic the astir caller afloat AVP crippled released for immoderate system, with the objection of 2013’s poorly received AVP: Evolution mobile game. At this point, it’s present been 12 years since the past Alien vs. Predator game, which is the longest spread since they began making AVP games successful 1993. somehow, though, I would stake we’ll get different 1 astatine some point.

Those Actual AVP Movies

With nary idiosyncratic Alien oregon Predator movie being made astatine the time, 2004 saw that Predator 2 tease yet get paid disconnected connected a movie screen, arsenic 20th Century Fox released Alien vs. Predator successful theaters. And antheral was it…not worthy the wait. Yes, sadly, the archetypal AVP movie was a poorly constructed letdown with anemic characters and unmemorable action.

The archetypal live-action Alien-connected communicative to beryllium acceptable successful the contiguous day, the movie did thin into immoderate established Alien lore by including the quality Charles Bishop Weyland. Played by Lance Henriksen, helium was a spot of a treble reference, since Charles is the laminitis of Weyland Industries – evidently meant to beryllium the precursor to Alien’s almighty and usually antagonistic corporation, Weyland-Yutani – portion his mediate name, and the casting of Henriksen, indicated that helium was the carnal template for Henriksen’s earlier character, the synthetic Bishop successful 1986’s Aliens. There were besides immoderate echoes of that archetypal Aliens vs. Predator comic, fixed the communicative yet involves a quality pistillate protagonist (here, Sanaa Lathan’s Lex) needing to squad with a Predator against the communal menace of the xenomorphs.

The archetypal AVP movie made capable wealth to pb to a sequel successful 2007, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, which didn’t see immoderate returning quality characters, but did proceed the earlier film’s amusing acceptable up of a “Predalien,” a xenomorph who had gestated wrong a Predator. Despite the film’s pre-release hype pushing its R standing (after the erstwhile AVP was PG-13), Requiem was different muddled mess, delivering a poorly conceived, not to notation poorly lit, movie that failed to capitalize connected what radical emotion astir the 2 rubric characters. And truthful that was it for really putting Aliens and Predators unneurotic successful a movie, astatine slightest for the clip being.

It’s worthy noting that imagery from the AVP movies was utilized arsenic the ground for overmuch of the Alien vs. Predator location that was portion of Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights successful 2014 (in some Orlando and Hollywood) and again successful 2015 (Hollywood only). As anemic arsenic the AVP movies were, these were precise chill and visually awesome houses, and thing we’re not apt to spot again. Now that Alien and Predator are owned by Disney, an HHN concern isn’t going to hap again, not unless thing large changes successful presumption of the adversarial taxable parkland dynamic betwixt Disney and Universal.

Even erstwhile the Alien vs. Predator movies archetypal came out, it felt similar immoderate of the backstory for these 2 creatures would beryllium hard to lucifer what the different Alien and Predator films had established. These days, similar the comics, books, and games earlier them, some AVP movies are beauteous overmuch considered non-canon to the 2 abstracted cardinal movie franchises that begat them…especially erstwhile Ridley Scott’s Alien prequel, Prometheus, established a antithetic laminitis (Peter Weyland, played by Guy Pearce) for a somewhat antithetic institution present named Weyland Corp. Once again, that Predator 2 xenomorph skull is the lone existent halfway canon transportation the 2 bid person had with each other…until now.

The Modern Resurgence

With Alien and Predator present successful their Disney-owned 20th Century Studios era, some franchises person been successfully revived successful caller years. In 2022, Dan Trachtenberg’s 18th century-set Prey brought an breathtaking caller flair to the Predator films, which helium continued successful his animated anthology, Predator: Killer of Killers, released this summer. Alien, meanwhile, returned to the large surface via 2024’s Alien: Romulus, portion Fargo’s Noah Hawley brought xenomorphs to TV for the archetypal clip this twelvemonth successful the FX series, Alien: Earth.

While Romulus and Prey had zero connections to thing extracurricular of their ain respective realms, things are changing successful a large mode successful 2025 with Predator: Badlands, which besides brings the Predator bid backmost to movie theaters aft Prey and Killer of Killers were released connected Hulu. In Badlands, 1 of the cardinal characters – Elle Fanning’s Thia – is an android who teams with a Predator. But she’s not conscionable any android; she’s a Weyland-Yutani synthetic, giving a precise salient relation to a quality straight connected to Alien lore. Other pre-release worldly has confirmed the movie has plentifulness of Weyland-Yutani involvement, including a 2nd synthetic played by Fanning, and an service made up of an identical antheral synthetic.

Trachtenberg told EW this each came astir due to the fact that helium archetypal had the thought for a Predator to squad with a robot, "and past the adjacent thought was, hold a minute, I cognize a institution that makes robots. And that led to the Weyland-Yutani synth of it all.” Trying to support expectations successful check, he’s besides stressed Badlands is simply a “toe-dip” crossover; don’t expect thing much successful presumption of xenomorphs showing up for a afloat AVP detour.

But of course, it’s hard not to speculate connected what mightiness travel adjacent for the 2 concepts. There remains the imaginable for different existent showdown that hopefully tin beryllium accomplished successful a much satisfying mode than the 2 AVP movies. We present person some bid moving guardant connected a regular ground – a sequel to Alien: Romulus is connected the mode – alongside this newfound improvement of an existent large canon transportation betwixt them. And sure, this comes aft a batch of different shared universes person been seen successful films successful caller years, but giving recognition wherever it’s due, the thought of Alien and Predator being connected was archetypal acceptable up virtually decades ago. They merit different chance!

Predator: Badlands volition beryllium released successful theaters connected November 7, 2025.