The term “sequel trilogy” is typically associated with the galaxy far, far away, but it seems Disney has quietly been developing another sequel trilogy for Predator, a franchise the company acquired through its 2019 acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
Unlike those films, however, this sequel trilogy has a single director at the helm.
The three films—Prey (2022), Predator: Killer of Killers (2025), and now Predator: Badlands (2025)—are each directed by Dan Trachtenberg. Direct ties to the pre-Disney Predator films aren't so clear, but you can probably say the same about Star Wars‘ sequel trilogy. But the parallels between both of these trilogies are obvious.
Prey introduced Naru (Amber Midthunder), a Comanche warrior facing off against a Predator. Many fans accused the film of being “woke” by shifting the focus to a strong female lead similar to Rey (Daisy Ridley) in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), but nevertheless, Prey became a breakout streaming hit after bypassing theaters entirely.
Its success set the stage for another Disney+ installment, this year's Predator: Killer of Killers, an anthology-style animated film exploring Viking, feudal Japanese, and World War II encounters with the alien hunters. An extended finale of that story teased the return of legacy characters Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) from Predator (1987) and Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) from Predator 2 (1990) alongside Naru, signaling that this new era of films is intent on connecting generations of legacy characters.
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Badlands finally brings the franchise back to theaters, focusing on Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a young Yautja outcast who teams up with Thia (Elle Fanning), a damaged android created by Weyland–Yutani, the corporation from the Alien franchise. The film has made over $130 million worldwide so far and has generated divided opinions among fans.
Some criticize the PG-13 rating and the softer portrayal of the Predator, noting that it strays from the lethal alien menace established in the 1987 and all the pre-Disney sequels and spinoffs. Others praise its adventure-driven approach and character dynamics.
The new film has drawn repeated comparisons to Star Wars. Trachtenberg has openly referenced The Empire Strikes Back (1980), citing the imagery of Dek carrying Thia as directly inspired by Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) hauling C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) through Cloud City. There are many other common threads: barren planets, strong female leads, alien worlds, sidekicks designed for merchandising, and even lightsaber-inspired duels.
Unlike the Star Wars sequel trilogy, however, which shared creative control between directors and frequently overturned major story setups, Trachtenberg's Predator sequels maintain a coherent vision across all three films. Fans can expect to see Naru, Dutch, and Harrigan eventually joining forces with Dek and Thia to confront a larger threat, likely Weyland–Yutani, in the same way Rey (Daisy Ridley) united with Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to battle the First Order.
Trachtenberg’s approach suggests Disney is attempting a careful balance: honoring the original Predator mythos while building a roadmap for future stories—something the Star Wars sequel trilogy failed to achieve.
Have you seen Predator: Badlands? If you have, what do you think of this new Predator sequel trilogy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!
