Is Another AVP Movie on the Horizon with Alien and Predator's Rising Popularity?

Fans of the Alien and Predator franchises have much to anticipate in 2025. The year promises exciting developments with two new Predator films from the acclaimed director of Prey, Dan Trachtenberg: the live-action Predator: Badlands and the animated Hulu series Predator: Killer of Killers. Additionally, the Alien universe will expand with a new FX show, Alien: Earth, helmed by Noah Hawley, the showrunner behind Fargo and Legion. Although these projects are not officially linked, the storied history of Alien and Predator as part of a shared universe—where the iconic monsters have clashed in films, comic books, and video games—hints at potential future crossovers.

Analyzing the promotional materials for Predator: Badlands and Alien: Earth could reveal Disney's plans for a new Alien vs. Predator (AVP) crossover. Let’s delve into the latest from these franchises and explore why an AVP revival might be on the horizon sooner than expected.

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The initial teaser trailer for Predator: Badlands sparked speculation among fans about a potential AVP film. The trailer introduced Elle Fanning as a Weyland-Yutani synthetic character linked to a new Predator named Dek, confirmed by Trachtenberg as the film’s protagonist. While a Weyland-Yutani android in a Predator film isn't a direct indicator of an Alien crossover, the connection gains significance with the release of new promotional videos for Alien: Earth.

In the Gestation Complete teaser, several Easter eggs nod to the Alien lore. We see the black liquid mutagen from Prometheus, used by the Engineers to seed life on Earth, leading to an egg sac reminiscent of one from Alien: Romulus. The creature emerging from it, while shaped like a facehugger, shows new mutations. This creature, labeled "Species 37" (perhaps a nod to Mass Effect?) and housed on a ship resembling the Nostromo but named the Maginot, is designated by the ship's computer, MU-TH-UR, as having unknown DNA. Given that Alien: Earth is set two years before the original Alien, this suggests that Species 37 might be the initial clue that leads Weyland-Yutani to the Xenomorphs, as the Nostromo’s MU-TH-UR and Ash were already aware of it before landing on LV-426.

A related teaser called Crate features specimen containers, with a narrator revealing that the ship has collected "five different life forms from the darkest corners of the universe," each a unique species. While a classic Xenomorph is showcased, the mention of five species suggests an expansion of the alien roster. Could one of these be related to the Predators? This aligns with Predator: Badlands, set on an alien world where Dek hunts extraterrestrial beings. Perhaps Elle Fanning’s android is searching for these specimens, or one of these creatures might evolve into a form seen in Badlands or Killer of Killers. While we await the premiere to confirm, the presence of Predator DNA in Alien: Earth wouldn’t be surprising.

Alien and Predator’s Long, Intertwined History

The shared universe of Alien and Predator dates back further than many fans might realize. While the first AVP film hit theaters in 2004, their first confrontation was in the 1989 Dark Horse comic series Aliens vs. Predator. Predator 2 in 1990 included an Easter egg linking to Alien with a Xenomorph skull on the Predator’s trophy wall. Subsequent AVP comics and video games throughout the '90s solidified this shared universe, well before the Marvel Cinematic Universe popularized the concept.

Despite early success, the AVP films released in the 2000s—Paul W. S. Anderson’s Alien vs. Predator in 2004 and The Brothers Strause’s Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem in 2007—didn't capture audiences due to poor reception, despite their box office earnings. At the time, serialized superhero and sci-fi blockbusters were gaining traction, but the AVP series was treated as a B-tier property by 20th Century Fox, even though both Alien and Predator had produced exceptional films. Ridley Scott’s Alien remains a horror masterpiece, James Cameron’s Aliens is an iconic sequel, and John McTiernan’s Predator is a classic action film. The AVP films fell short of these standards, and subsequent attempts in the 2010s, like Ridley Scott’s Prometheus series and Shane Black’s The Predator, faced commercial challenges. However, the recent successes of Prey in 2022 and Alien: Romulus in 2024 have revitalized the franchises, making the prospect of a new AVP film more tantalizing than ever.

Is it time for a new Alien vs. Predator movie? ----------------------------------------------

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Moreover, a sequel to Alien: Romulus is currently in development, with director Fede Álvarez expressing interest in returning and even directing an AVP film. Alien: Romulus was a significant success, rejuvenating the franchise post-Prometheus while maintaining its connection through the Engineer-like monster in the third act. Characters Rain Carradine and Andy, portrayed by Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson, respectively, are en route to Yvaga III in stasis, setting the stage for a direct sequel. With Predator: Badlands also set in space, could we see Easter eggs or cameos hinting at a connection to Romulus?

Álvarez has suggested that the best approach to an AVP film would be to surprise the audience:

“The best AVP will be the one that you don’t know is AVP until the other guy shows up,” he told Collider. “You think you’re watching a Predator movie, and then they land in some place and there are creatures, and fucking hell, it’s a Xenomorph. That would get me. … Or vice versa, you’re in an Alien movie, and then suddenly a mysterious creature is there, and you can hear that sound, and you see the cloak, and you go, ‘Is that a fucking Predator?’”

The Alien Movies' Long History of Recycling Rejected Ideas

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Álvarez's enthusiasm for an AVP film offers hope that a fresh take on the crossover could surpass its predecessors. The earlier films, set on contemporary Earth, had limited scope and struggled with character development, leading to fan rejection. A new AVP could start anew, possibly featuring Dek from Predator: Badlands as the protagonist if he survives, and exploring the Predalien concept further. Imagine a creature combining Alien, Predator, and Engineer DNA—that would be truly terrifying.

With the current health of both franchises and the trend toward cinematic universes, a new AVP film seems more a matter of when than if. With visionary filmmakers like Álvarez and Trachtenberg now involved, the stage is set for these iconic monsters to finally have the epic battle fans crave.