Badlands' Just Reveal That It's in the Same Universe as 'Independence Day'?! -

The first official trailer for Predator: Badlands has sent fans into a frenzy with the theory that Elle Fanning‘s character is an android designed by Weyland-Yutani. This means that Predator: Badlands has a tangential link to the Alien franchise…but there’s another science fiction film that received a nod, and fans might have missed it. In the opening shot of the trailer, a Predator’s trophy room is displayed, featuring the skulls of its previous conquests. One of those skulls belongs to the alien race known as the Harvesters from Independence Day, meaning that the Yautja and the Harvesters could have potentially crossed paths. It wouldn’t be the first time a major science fiction franchise has been linked to the Predators, and this could lead to (another) potential resurrection for the Independence Day franchise.

The Predator Movies Have a History of Crossovers With Other Franchises

This isn’t the first time another creature from a sci-fi franchise has ended up as the victim of a Predator. In Predator 2, Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) ends up tracking a Yautja to its spacecraft, where he stumbles upon its trophy room; mounted on the walls of that room are a number of skulls, including one from a Xenomorph, the horrifying antagonists of the Alien franchise. At the time, the skull was placed as a nod to the fact that both franchises featured design work from legendary effects artist Stan Winston, who gave the Xenomorph queen her distinct look and the Yautja their spider-esque mandibles. But Dark Horse Comics wound up publishing a series of Alien vs. Predator comics and 20th Century Fox wound up buying an Alien vs. Predator script from fledgling screenwriter Peter Briggs, which eventually morphed into the Alien vs. Predator movie that was directed by Paul W.S. Anderson in 2004. There was even an Alien vs. Predator anime series that sadly never saw the light of day.

But the Xenomorphs were only the first franchise the Predators set their sights on. Over the years, there have been multiple crossovers pitting the Yautja against other characters: Judge Dredd, Batman, and even Archie have found themselves on the run from a Predator. Even with Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, the Predator has found a new prey in the heroes of the Marvel Universe — Wolverine, the Black Panther, and most recently, Spider-Man came face to face with a Yautja. While plot details about Predator: Badlands remain scarce, the presence of a Harvester’s skull could lead to a potential link to the Independence Day universe. After all, one Easter egg led to multiple clashes between Aliens and Predators; could it really be a stretch to imagine the Predators hunting and killing an alien race that’s responsible for destroying entire worlds? On the other hand, Dan Trachtenberg could just be adding a fun little Easter egg, and I wouldn’t blame him.

Could ‘Predator: Badlands’ Lead to an ‘Independence Day’ Crossover?

Having the Harvester’s skull in a Predator’s trophy room raises more than a few questions about how the worlds of Independence Day and the Predator films fit together. Could the Yautja have learned of the Harvesters’ attempts to attack Earth and seen a worthy challenge? More to the point, there’s the question of how a Predator could overcome the Harvesters, since the latter race possesses superior firepower on top of their psychic abilities. Again, the possibility that Trachtenberg is just introducing a fun little Easter egg isn’t entirely out of the question. Independence Day producer Patrick Tatopoulos also did work on the first Alien vs Predator film, so Trachtenberg could more than likely be continuing a tradition set up by previous Predator films — further cementing that he’s the best thing to happen to the Predator franchise in a long time. But there’s also the idea that 20th Century Studios may want to revisit Independence Day down the line, as president Steve Asbell has expressed a desire to revitalize fan-favorite franchises while crafting original films under the 20th Century banner.

Wherever the Harvester skull leads, it’s a testament to how creative the Predator franchise can be. Given the Yaujta’s desire to hunt the strongest prey in the universe, they likely have stalked and killed a Harvester. But the idea of Dan Trachtenberg continuing to place nods to 20th Century Studios’ other science fiction franchises is also a fun nod. Hopefully, the next Predator movie has a shoutout to the Planet of the Apes films.

Predator: Badlands comes to theaters on November 7.