The new animated anthology movie, Predator: Killer of Killers, is a slightly bigger deal than you might think. As director Dan Trachtenberg starts to build out the Predator universe in a brand-new way, you might think that the ending of Killer of Killers would lead directly into the upcoming live-action movie Predator: Badlands. And while some of the continuity created for Killer of Killers could be mentioned in Badlands, the more interesting thing is the way that Killer of Killers actually retcons the 2022 movie Prey.
Here’s what happens in the Killer of Killers post-credits scene, and why it’s almost certainly a game-changer for the entire Predator franchise.
Spoilers ahead.
After three warriors from different time periods, Ursa (Lindsay LaVanchy), Kenji (Louis Ozawa), and Torres (Rick Gonzales) all find themselves on some kind of Predator hunting planet, two of these humans manage to escape. Because Viking warlord Ursa sacrifices herself, Kenji and Torres escape, forming an unlikely bond, considering Kenji is from feudal Japan and Torres was an aspiring WWII pilot. Clearly, all of these humans have been brought into some other time by the Predators, but whether actual time travel is involved or if the humans have just been put in suspended animation is unclear.
And complicating this question even further is the actual post-credits scene. The movie technically ends with Predators hunting Torries and Kenji, as the pair seems to escape on a stolen Predator spaceship. Whether or not they’ll survive this new hunt is unclear. But, during the post-credits scene, we also learn that they are not the only humans who have been plucked out of time and set aside.
Just as the credits start to roll, we see a bunch of blocks, all with different humans in them, and that’s when the movie reveals one very familiar face.
In animated form, and apparently frozen, we see very clearly the face of Naru, the Comanche warrior who was the main character of the 2022 live-action Prey. While the action of Prey did not depict Nara getting snatched up by the Predators, part of the art in the credits of that film did suggest that Predators ships eventually descended on her tribe at some point after the movie.
So now with Killer of Killers, it’s been made pretty clear that Naru (Amber Midthunder) could literally return at any point in time in the Predator franchise. This even might suggest she could appear in Predator: Badlands, despite the film taking place in an unspecified moment in the future.
As of this writing, there has been no announcement from Trachtenberg on whether or not Naru will return for a future installment. However, with the Badlands trailer teasing a clear connection between the Alien and Predator franchises, it seems that this super-franchise is expanding in new and unexpected ways. And, if Amber Midthunder suddenly appears in Badlands alongside Elle Fanning, don’t say we didn’t warn you.
