Dan Trachtenberg Says MCU Inspired His Vision for Predator Universe as AVP Connections Expand

From Prey hits Hulu in 2022, Dan Trachtenberg shaped what feels like the most exciting era of Predator franchising for decades. His blockbuster entry didn’t just breathe new life into the series, it dug into its history, expanded the lore, and hinted that a much larger universe was waiting in the shadows.

Now, with Predator: Badlands on the horizon, Trachtenberg’s plans for this evolving myth are starting to come into focus, and the Alien versus predator ties are strengthening.

Following Preythe animated anthology Predator: Killer of killers tied together decades of storytelling. The project united Naru from Prey, Danny Gloverit’s Mike Harrigan from Predator 2AND Arnold SchwarzeneggerDutch Schaefer from the original film, which was an interesting move that made fans realize a long-term plan was taking shape.

The imminent Predator: Badlands it’s another sharp turn for the series. Instead of focusing on a human being hunted by a Yautja, this film flips the script and a Predator takes center stage as the protagonist, fighting in brutal conditions to prove himself worthy.

It’s a story of survival from the hunter’s point of view, and the trailer already teases the connective tissue of the alien universe, hinting at a grander design.

When Trachtenberg sat down with ComicBook during the Badlands press tour, talked about the future and what fans can expect from all these crossover threads, and his answer is straight out of the MCU playbook.

“In my mind, what made Avengers work was that it wasn’t the first MCU movie and it wasn’t the second MCU movie. That we spent time bonding with the characters and their individual stories and making sure that those individual movies were interesting and had interesting premises.

“So if we were ever to do something where things collide, it would be after we get to know and bond with things in their individual stories.”

This is a pretty clear sign that Trachtenberg isn’t setting up an Avengers-style team just for show. It’s taking a long road of building character-driven stories first, then connecting them naturally when the time is right.

And when asked if fans call him the “Kevin Feige” of the Predator franchising, Trachtenberg responded:

“I take it as a compliment because I think Kevin Feige is a genius and what he created is unprecedented in the history of cinema. I’ve only made a couple of good Predator movies so far and I’m hoping for a third. So yeah, we’ll see how it turns out.”

The Predator series has had a wild history, from cult status to critical struggles, but with Prey, Killer of killersand the imminent Badlandshe suddenly found himself in great shape.

Fans are engaged again, the mythology is expanding, and the Alien connections are fueling speculation about an inevitable crossover revival.

If Trachtenberg continues to steer the ship like this, Predator could be on its way to becoming the next great interconnected sci-fi universe. What are your thoughts on the future of this franchise under Trachtenberg’s direction?