Recent years have been considered a "golden age" for both the Predator and Alien franchises, with the former seeing success with the likes of Prey, Predator: Killer of Killers, and Predator: Badlands. As for the Xenomorphs, Alien: Covenant and Alien: Earth took both the silver and small screen by storm. With Weyland-Utani, the well-known evil corporation that has been a long part of the Alien franchise, having a major role in the latest Predator movie, it's clear that both franchises exist in the same universe. You might be surprised to learn that Alien: Earth and Predator: Badlands have a major element in common, outside of sharing a fictional world.
Warning. If you have yet to see Predator: Badlands, be forewarned that we'll be diving into spoiler territory. Dan Trachtenberg's latest take on the world of the Yautja has made it no secret that Weyland-Utani was set to play a big part in the film. In fact, the supporting character Thia is a synthetic android created by the corporation, with these beings long highlighted in the Alien franchise. Acting as the "big bad" of Predator: Badlands, the synths are sent to Genna, the Death Planet, for a very specific reason, a reason that is the same as Alien: Earth.
In Alien: Earth, we discovered that the Xenomorphs weren't the only aliens that Weyland-Utani was looking to exploit in the universe. The evil corporation would routinely search the galaxy to find new alien beings that they could exploit in search of profits. In the FX series, we saw a bevy of new creatures introduced that were far different than the Xenomorphs we've become accustomed to, and in some cases, seemingly more deadly. Crawling eyeballs, metal-eating insects, and mysterious tentacles were a part of a recent spatial search that Weyland-Utani underwent, and this search for creatures extended in Predator: Badlands.
Both Dek the Predator and the evil Alien corporation are hunting for the alien creature known as the "Kalisk." For Dek, the creature is a being that has long been feared by the Yatjua race, which the protagonist keeps in mind when he chooses to hunt it. The Predator: Badlands star is seeking to become a true member of his race, hoping to kill the creature to become a part of his clan and prove that he isn't simply a "runt."
On the flip side, Weyland-Utani wants to snag the creature because of the Kalisk's regenerative properties. Much like Marvel's Wolverine and Deadpool, the alien behemoth can heal most of its wounds, sometimes in a way that would put both Logan and Wade Wilson to shame, in fact. While Alien: Earth isn't directly referenced in Predator: Badlands, the corporation is still marching forward with the same goal. As of the writing of this article, no new Alien or Predator projects have been confirmed for the future, but we have to imagine that there will be plenty more sooner rather than later.
While the first time these two alien races met on film was in 2004's Alien Vs. Predator, this was far from the initial clash between the Yautja and the Xenomorphs. Countless comic books, novels, and video games were released long before the movie hit theaters, presenting wild stories for these universes to collide. While many of these offerings were critically acclaimed, the same couldn't be said for the first crossover film or its sequel, Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem. Since we're currently in a "golden age" for both franchises, perhaps a new movie that sees the Predators and Aliens fight would play on the strengths of both franchises' recent outings.
As mentioned earlier, Predator: Badlands has yet to confirm if it will receive a sequel, and Alien: Earth has yet to confirm if it will receive a second season, though both have strong possibilities of returning. As it stands, Predator: Badlands is on its way to being the number one movie of the weekend for North America, seemingly gaining over $35 million USD. With director Dan Trachtenberg seemingly already having the next entry in the Yatjua's theatrical run in mind, it will be interesting to see if we eventually see the Xenomorphs and the Predators clash again on the silver screen.