Imagine a Predator hunting Nazis during World War II or teaming up with Prey's Naru on an alien planet. Sounds wild, right? Well, these were actually early ideas for Predator: Badlands, the latest installment in the Predator franchise that just shattered box office records with a $40 million opening weekend. Director Dan Trachtenberg, known for his work on Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers, has proven he’s not afraid to shake things up. But here’s where it gets controversial: what if the Predator wasn’t just the hunter, but the hero? And this is the part most people miss—Trachtenberg initially toyed with making the Predator the protagonist, even considering a WWII setting where he’d take down Nazis. Bold move, right? But Trachtenberg wasn’t satisfied. He wanted something truly unique—a Predator-centric story set on an alien planet with no humans in sight, except for maybe Naru, the fierce heroine from Prey. In an interview with The Direct, Trachtenberg explained, “I really wanted you to root for the guy, to see his journey, his adventure.” This evolved into the final concept of Badlands, where the Predator teams up with a damaged synth named Thia, strapped to his back as they navigate a perilous alien world. But the Naru idea wasn’t completely scrapped. Trachtenberg hinted to Screen Time that there’s “a bigger plan down the line” for her, leaving fans speculating about future crossovers. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Trachtenberg considered pairing Naru with a Predator. During Prey’s release, he revealed to AVP Galaxy that he’d imagined Naru and a young Predator joining forces against the fur trappers in the film. So, what do you think? Would a WWII Predator movie or a Naru-Predator team-up have been a better fit? Or did Trachtenberg make the right call with Badlands? Let’s debate it in the comments—and don’t hold back! Is the Predator more compelling as a hero or a hunter?
