The following contains SPOILERS for the ending of The Predator.
Intended as the shot of rejuvenation the franchise needed, The Predator was always meant to end with a tease of what might be coming next, as humans open up a capsule that was left to them as a “gift” from the Fugitive Predator to help head off a reverse-terraforming event by his nastier kin. The way the opening was hyped, we thought maybe Arnold Schwarzenegger might be inside, or something else we’d instantly recognize from previous films. Instead, we got a battle suit that can turn a human into a powerful mecha-Predator. It looked cool, but in some ways it felt anti-climactic.
Now, via Bloody Disgusting and Instagram, artist Yuri Everson has revealed that a much more shocking surprise was planned, though the contortions it requires of the timeline might have proven more confusing than cool. An ending was shot in which the “Predator Killer” was not going to be a battle suit, but rather Alien series protagonist Ellen Ripley, wearing a Weyland Industries breathing mask. Stuntwoman Breanna Watkins was filmed in the pod as a stand-in for Sigourney Weaver, who was not involved.
Considering the critical and audience response to The Predator was less than what was hoped for, it seems more likely that any future Predator movie will do its own thing rather than follow up directly. And Alien/Predator crossover movies have typically been the least-loved films in either franchise, so maybe it’s best this didn’t happen.
But if Predators have time travel (Ripley would be from the future of The Predator‘s timeline), that opens up a lot of fun possibilities. As of next year, the ball will be in Disney’s court.
Image: 20th Century Fox
