Amber Midthunder Hints at Returning to Predator Franchise

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Prey star Amber Midthunder wants to return to the Predator franchise but can’t tell fans precisely if and when that will happen. Prey debuted on Hulu in August 2022 and blew fans away by giving a new spin on the Predator franchise by placing it in the 1700s and having the iconic alien face off against a young Comanche woman. Midthunder played Naru, a woman who proves to her tribe she is one of their greatest warriors by slaying the mighty Predator. Prey’s end credits teased the arrival of more Predators, opening the door for sequels, yet it has been nearly three years with no follow-up.

While promoting her latest film, Novocain, Midthunder spoke with Collider about wanting to reprise her role as Naru in a future Prey sequel. It seems like director Dan Trachtenberg is fully committed to the next entry in the franchise, Predator: Badlands, leaving the fate of Midthunder’s character and the Prey corner of the franchise up in the air right now. Midthunder is as excited for Badlands as fans are and is open to returning as Maru in a future Prey sequel. She said:

“I don’t know. I don’t know what’s happening. [Laughs] I genuinely don’t. I also want to do another one. I would be happy to do another one. I love Dan Trachtenberg with my whole heart. I love that world, I love that character, and I think that there’s some fun ideas out there that I’ve heard that are very cool. I’m really excited. He obviously has Badlands coming out this year, so I’m really excited to see that. Whatever Dan does, I will always be his fan.”

The Predator Franchise Is Expanding

Despite being a streaming release, Prey caught on with fans and general audiences and reinvigorated the Predator franchise after years of false starts and abrupt stops. Since then, 20th Century Studios has ordered three new Predator films. The first is Predator: Badlands, with Dan Trachtenberg in the director’s chair handling a new story that will be the inverse of Prey, taking place in the future. Elle Fanning is set to star, and the movie will open in theaters on Nov. 7, 2025. The second project, which was recently announced, is a top-secret Predator film that will open before Badlands and is rumored to be an animated entry.

The studio ordered Prey 2, though no set release date was given for that film. If Midthunder were to return as Naru for Prey 2, that would mark the first time a protagonist from one Predator film returned for another entry. It would also be the first direct sequel to a Predator film since Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem following Alien vs. Predator. The arrival of more Predator ships at the end of Prey certainly suggests a large-scale story, and also could solve how the pistol of Raphael Adolini went from Naru’s hands into that of the Predators by the events of Predator 2.

There are also rumors of another attempt at an Alien vs. Predator crossover, with some fans theorizing that the sound in the trailer for FX’s Alien: Earth is the clicking of a Predator. The Predator franchise is likely stronger than it has ever been, and much of the credit goes to both Prey as a film but also Midthunder’s performance as Naru. It is no wonder she has become a star on the rise with roles in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Opus, and Novocaine. She recently joined the MonsterVerse as part of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2. 20th Century Studios has a bonafide star on their hands — they shouldn’t waste it and try to get Prey 2 off the ground sooner rather than later.

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2025-03-17 22:27