The potential Prey 2 needs to break a major Predator sequel trend and be the first to feature returning characters. Throughout over thirty years of movies, the Predator franchise has always used its sequels to reinvent the franchise slightly. The methods of this vary depending on the sequel, but Prey continued the tradition of pitting a new batch of characters against the Predator. The 2022 movie introduced audiences to Naru (Amber Midthunder) and followed her journey to prove her skill as a warrior by going to war with the alien hunter, which needs to continue.
Naru is the latest primary character audiences have seen attempt to take on the Predator. Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) was the main character in 1987's original Predator, where he successfully defeated the alien hunter. When it came time to make Predator 2, Dutch did not return, and Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) became the new lead. 2010 brought a soft reboot to the franchise and another new protagonist as Predators focused on Royce (Adrien Brody). The Predator in 2018 changed the focus by putting Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook) at the center of its story. Naru assuming the lead role in Prey followed that tradition of telling brand new stories about people encountering Predators.
Instead of continuing the franchise tradition of focusing on new characters, Prey 2 is the perfect place to break this trend and finally use some returning characters in a Predator sequel. The franchise has toyed with doing this in the past, with Arnold Schwarzenegger coming close to returning as Dutch a few times. Prey is a great standalone installment in the larger mythology, though, and it is a story that should continue. Prey's ending leaves room for Naru to remain a crucial part of future stories and reveal more about the film's surprise Predator 2 pistol connection. Prey 2 then might finally be time for a Predator sequel to include returning characters and give audiences a rematch between the Comanche warrior and the alien hunters.
How Prey Sets Up A Direct Sequel
Naru and other characters are likely returning in a future Predator sequel movie. Not only is the film a major hit for Hulu, but Prey's credits directly set up a sequel. Instead of the traditional post-credits sequence that Hollywood loves, the movie uses animated cave drawings to recap Naru's adventure. The end of the credits sequence shows two Predator ships arriving at the Comanche camp that Naru and others call home. It is an obvious tease that Prey 2 will explore more of Naru's story and focus on the Predators returning to Earth in 1719 or shortly after to take out the humans who killed one of their hunters.
Before the credits tease, Prey's ending sees Naru return to camp after her victory and warn the tribe that they need to relocate so they are not so vulnerable to future attacks - whether from aliens or wild animals. One of Prey's biggest unanswered questions is what happened to the Predator ship that dropped off the Yautja at the beginning of the movie. While it could have left Earth behind, the credits sequence indicates it may have been watching the events that unfolded and called in some backup. As long as the Predators don't take decades to return for their revenge, then Prey 2 including returning characters like Naru only makes sense.