The actor who plays the Predator in the new prequel film Prey reveals who he thinks the creature should fight next. Prey is directed by 10 Cloverfield Lane's Dan Trachtenberg and stars Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, and Dane DiLiegro as the latest iteration of the famed hunter from another planet. The film takes place in 1719 somewhere in North America, the first time the franchise has been set in another time outside of the present day.
The Predator has typically fought modern-day warriors, from military operators to cops to criminals, spanning the present-day storylines that began with 1987's Predator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Since that time the only other creature besides humans that the Predator has fought is the Xenomorphs from the Alien franchise in both AVP and AVP: Requiem. In 2010's Predators, the creatures brought a host of beings to another planet, including humans from all walks of life, as the Predator has shown throughout the series that they only want to hunt worthy and challenging prey.
The challenging prey in Prey is a tribe of Comanche warriors (as well as a nasty group of French trappers), which gives the creature a new adversary to contend with, even if it happened 300 years prior to the events of the first Predator film. While speaking to Screen Rant, DiLiegro offers up what he thinks would be the next best group of warriors for the Predator to fight: Samurai, the noble class of warriors who practiced bushido, "the way of the warrior," in early 12th century Japan through the late 1800s. Here's what DiLiegro had to say:
I would love to see Predator battle some Samurai. That would be pretty cool. That's a cool era; that's cool armor, and there's a high ceiling for artistic opportunity there I think.
One of the notable moments from 2010's Predators was when a Yakuza gangster fought a Predator with his katana sword, which left both himself and the Predator presumably dead. It was a strong tease of the potential in featuring differing cultures as they square off with the threat of the Predators, making it a far more compelling watch than having them face more soldiers and police officers. A planned sequel to Predators would've had the characters aboard a Predator transport ship, featuring a number of creatures from all over the galaxy being transported to the hunting planet. The concept was scrapped in favor of Shane Black's The Predator, which was a poorly received sequel that led to the new concept with Prey.
With Prey taking place so far back in the past, the shift of timeline in the Predator franchise opens the door for the series to explore multiple timelines and locations throughout history. While Prey may leave room for sequels set in the newly-established location, it's entirely possible that the franchise could expand with more sequels, prequels, and spinoffs that focus on other regions, including feudal Japan at the height of the Samurai. The armor, weapons, and adherence to the bushido code would make for an interesting dynamic when facing a creature like the Predator, which also carries its own code of combat that would make for a unique contrast. It's unclear what direction the franchise will go in after Prey is released, but with the new setting and time period firmly established, the door is open to explore all manner of adventures and adversaries throughout history going forward.
Source: Screen Rant
