Although 2018’sThe Predatorwas flawed, the failed reboot could have derailed both theAlienandPredatorfranchises if its original endings were used. 2018’sThe Predatorwas one of a string of movies that tried to recapture the fast-paced fusion of action, sci-fi, and horror found in 1987’s originalPredator. That Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle was tense, funny, and scary, but none of the subsequent movies starring the titular killer lived up to its promise.Predator 2was fun but cheesy,bothAlien Vs Predatormovieswere deeply flawed, and 2010’sPredatorswas merely fine.
Alien Movies In Order (Release & Chronological)
From Ridley Scott’s Alien to the sci-fi franchise’s prequel series beginning with Prometheus, here’s how to watch the Alien movies in order.
It wasn’t until2022’s rebootPreythat the series received a truly superb follow-up to the original movie. However,The Predatorappeared to have a lot going for it before the reboot was released to mediocre reviews.The Predator’s endingsaw the surviving characters meet with a “Fugitive Predator” who gifted them an elaborate “Predator Killer” suit that would aid them in their battle against the alien bounty hunters, but this absurd coda didn’t lead to any sequels. Fortunately, even this ending was a lot better than what viewers almost got.
The Predator Was Supposed To Bring Dutch Back At The End (But Schwarzenegger Declined)
In one early draft of screenwriter Shane Black’s script forThe Predator,Arnold Schwarzenegger’sPredatorhero Dutch returned in a helicopter to congratulate the heroes on defeating the Upgrade Predator. This absurdly corny conclusion would have seen Dutch descend from his iconic chopper and tell McKenna, Bracket, and Rory to climb onboard, with the implication being that the crew would join him in his Predator-hunting missions.The Predator’s cheesy alternate endingwas never shot since Schwarzenegger didn’t like the idea or the script, meaning the creators were forced to take things in another direction.
SinceThe Predatortook place afterPredator, it would make sense for Dutch to still be alive and hunting Predators in the movie’s universe.
While Dutch’s cameo would have reeked of pandering, the twist would at least have made sense within the established timeline of the franchise. SinceThe Predatortook place afterPredator, it would make sense for Dutch to still be alive and hunting Predators in the movie’s universe. The other mooted endings made much less sense and seemed even more like strained attempts to bring back iconic characters from any famous sci-fi horror franchise, regardless of how silly that was. As bizarre as it might seem,The Predatororiginally included cameos fromAlien’s Ripley and her youngAlienssidekick, Newt.
The Predator Also Considered Including Ripley And Newt At The End (Yes, From Alien)
Ripley and Newt Would Have Played Two Predator Killers
At one point,The Predator’s ending included an excised subplot wherein the Fugitive Predator’s pod was revealed to be inscribed with Weyland-Yutani logos. Not content with this comparatively subtle nod to the links between theAlienseries and thePredatormovies,The Predatorthen revealed that the Predator Killer was Ripley herself.Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripleywas never lined up to appear in the reboot, so the character would have worn a mask and would have been identified by her uniform’s name tag. This twist would have made no sense beyond the link between the franchises.
Ripley’sAlienstory takes place far into the future, whereasThe Predatoris set in the current day. As such, Ripley would have needed to travel back in time to be the Predator Killer and, furthermore, this twist would have undone her canonical death. Somewhat infamously, Ripley died at the end ofAlien 3when she swan-dived into a vat of molten metal to stop a Xenomorph that was incubating in her chest from getting into the hands of the nefarious Weyland-Yutani corporation. As such, it is impossible to see how she would end up in LA decades before her birth fighting Predators.
The Predator’s Wild Ideas Could’ve Changed The Trajectory Of The Franchise Forever
The Predator Would Have Altered The Alien and Predator Timelines Massively
As if this twist weren’t bizarre enough,The Predator’s second Predator Killer was revealed to be an adult version ofAlienssupporting star Newt. Although thedeaths of Newt and HicksinAlien 3are among the most hated twists in the entire franchise, this would have been an utterly bizarre way of retconning the event. After all, Newt being an adult at the end ofThe Predatorwould imply that the events ofAlien 3, and thusAlien: Resurrection, never happened. Why Newt and Ripely would become Predator Killers later in life was never explained.
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In hindsight, this entire plan seemed like an excuse to shoehorn characters from theAlienuniverse intoThe Predator.However, it is still worth noting that this twist would have fundamentally changed the story of both franchises. For better or worse, revealing that Ripley was somehow around during the action ofThe Predatorwould have altered the timeline of thePredatormovies and theAlienmovies irrevocably.
