Fans will have to wait for Aliens vs. Predator, as director Dan Trachtenberg has confirmed there are no Xenomorphs in the upcoming Predator: Badlands movie.
Despite visual hints and a confirmed Weyland-Yutani connection through Elle Fanning’s android character Thia, Trachtenberg told Empire that Badlands is not an Alien vs Predator crossover event.
“There’s no Xenomorph in this movie,” he said. “But to me, that makes it more exciting. We’re not involving [the Alien franchise] just to smush the action figures together. There are great, organic story reasons for Weyland-Yutani to be in this film.”
A Crossover in Slow Motion
Trachtenberg’s comments echo his previous remarks to EW, where he called the connection to Alien a “toe-dip” into crossover territory. It’s clear he wants to avoid a forced team-up and is instead laying foundational lore that could grow into something larger.
Weyland-Yutani’s presence alone has reignited AVP universe rumors, especially given what else we know.
Fanning’s character, Thia, is a damaged synthetic stranded on the alien world of Genna.
She’s described as “broken,” and “absorbing new information” far beyond her programming, teasing an evolution that mirrors Ash or David from the Alien prequels.
A brief moment in the trailer shows Thia’s eye flicker with a Weyland-Yutani HUD, directly tying her to the same corporate legacy that sought out the Xenomorph in the original Alien.
“Thia has been on Genna a while, seeing things she wouldn’t normally see,” Fanning told Empire. “She’s broken too, so she’s become very different from the other synths.”
Still Building Toward AVP?
While there won’t be any chestbursters or facehuggers in Badlands, the Alien vs Predator buzz hasn’t died down, it’s just shifted into a longer game. As Tachyon Pulse previously reported, insiders say Disney may be quietly developing a connected AVP universe through projects like:
- Predator: Badlands (Nov. 7 release)
- FX’s Alien: Earth, which features five unknown alien species
- The animated Predator: Beast of Beasts series
- Alien: Romulus and its planned sequel
Even Romulus director Fede Álvarez has publicly floated the idea of a surprise crossover, where one franchise collides with the other mid-story without marketing it as AVP.
“You think you’re watching a Predator movie… and then, f-cking hell, it’s a Xenomorph,” Álvarez said.
Not AVP Yet — But Getting Closer
While Predator: Badlands won’t deliver a full-on Alien vs Predator showdown, it’s now the most direct link between the two franchises in years. Thia’s backstory, Weyland-Yutani’s presence, and the franchise history all suggest Badlands is a stepping stone toward something bigger.
