The recurring theme is that “Predator” films often hint at grander developments that ultimately never materialize. Although the finale of “Badlands” teases an exciting showdown between Dek and his mother, it might remain a figment of the audience’s imagination. The original 1987 “Predator” ended with mercenary Dutch Schaefer (Arnold Schwarzenegger) vanquishing the alien hunter, leaving little room for a sequel tease. Nevertheless, a continuation starring a celebrated figure like Schwarzenegger would have been logical. However, when “Predator 2” debuted three years later, Danny Glover took center stage as LAPD officer Mike Harrigan, explicitly setting the stage for a sequel by hinting at more Predators arriving on Earth. Yet, Mike never returned to confront them.

It wasn’t until the animated film “Predator: Killer of Killers” that audiences briefly saw Dutch and Mike again during a post-credits scene where the Yautja had captured these human adversaries. The question remains whether this tease will ever lead to further developments.

Ironically, the only “Predator” film to receive a direct sequel is “Alien vs. Predator,” followed by “Alien vs. Predator: Requiem.” However, fans often overlook these installments, leaving the core “Predator” films as standalone adventures. In 2010’s “Predators,” set on a Yautja hunting planet, survivors Royce (Adrien Brody) and Isabelle (Alice Braga) ponder their next move as more Predators approach, but their fate remains unknown, and they are absent from the “Predator: Killer of Killers” post-credits scene.

It’s funny and a little sad that the only “Predator” movie with a proper sequel is “Alien vs. Predator,” which got a follow-up in the form of “Alien vs. Predator: Requiem.” But most fans tend to ignore those entries, so as far as regular “Predator” movies go, they’re all largely standalone installments. 2010’s “Predators,” which takes place on another planet that’s basically a Yautja hunting preserve, ends with Royce (Adrien Brody) and Isabelle (Alice Braga) as the sole survivors. When it seems like more Predators are on the way, Royce mentions needing to find a way back home. We never find out what happened to them, and they’re not even included in the “Predator: Killer of Killers” post-credits scene. 

2018’s “The Predator” ends with humanity getting gifted a “Predator Killer” suit, but nothing ever happens there. 2022’s “Prey” probably sticks closest in tone to the first where it could largely function as a one-off escapade, but a post-credits scene suggests more Yautja vessels interacted with Naru (Amber Midthunder) and her Comanche tribe. Perhaps these Yautja were the ones who kidnapped Naru to put her in stasis at the end of “Predator: Killer of Killers” alongside Dutch and Mike, but there’s still a ton of missing information. 

There’s nothing wrong with “Predator” movies focusing on new people each time, but it’s baffling that they always seem to be hinting at something more that never comes to fruition. That could change very soon, though. Dan Trachtenberg, who directed “Prey,” “Predator: Killer of Killers,” and “Predator: Badlands,” has apparently met with Arnold Schwarzenegger about coming back to the series. Maybe we’ll get a big “Predator” event film that ties everything together? One can dream. To make sure you’re up to date with all the loose threads that the “Predator” sequels have left dangling over the years, check out the video above.