This article contains SPOILERS for Predator: Killer of Killers
Predator: Killer of Killershas been released onHuluand can be said to kick off a year of Predator, which will continue on Jun 18, 2025, with the release ofPredator: Badlandsin theaters.Predator: Killer of Killersis co-directed by Dan Tractenberg, who also helmsPredator: Badlandsand directed the excellent 2022 filmPrey, the movie that kicked off this new era for thePredatorfranchise. For years, fans have been hoping for a sequel toPrey, with starAmber Midthunderteasing the project for some time.
Yet instead of a direct sequel, Tractenberg opted to take the Predator in two unique directions by giving the franchise its first animated anthology withPredator: Killer of Killersand the first film with a Predator protagonist throughPredator: Badlands. Despite being an animated project,Predator: Killer of Killersconnects toPreyin a significant way, one teased towards the end of the film and one major one at the very end that could change the franchise’s future, including if fans can expectPrey 2and if so, what will it look like?
‘Predator: Killer of Killers’ Mid-Credits Scene Explained
Shortly after the title card forPredator: Killer of Killerslands, the film shows one final scene before the credits roll. Two Predators escort one of the film’s serving warriors in a cryochamber into a hall filled with cryochambers. This scene is visually similar to the final shot of the warehouse inRaiders of the Lost Ark, which was revealed to be Area 51 inIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.InKiller of Killers, this hints at many more individuals the Predators have abducted and brought back to their homeworld.
Two Predators pass one cryochamber, and the camera zooms in to revealNaru (Amber Midthunder), the protagonist ofPrey.Predator: Killer of Killersteased some connection to the events ofPreywhen earlier in the film, in the arena where the film’s three protagonists meet, there is the flintlock pistol of Raphael Adolini, the Italian translator whom Naru encountered in her film. Ralphael Adolini was a reference to the largerPredatorfranchise, as he was previously alluded to inPredator 2through this same pistol.
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Predator: Killer of Killersnow fills a gap in thePredatortimeline and solves a plot hole created inPrey.Preyends with Naru in possession ofRaphael Adolini’s pistol. However, inPredator 2, which is set 287 years after the events ofPrey, the gun is in the possession of the Predators, who gift it to Lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) as a trophy. Many fans wondered how the Predators could have gotten Raphael Adolini’s pistol if Naru had killed one of their own in battle, a task that, untilPredator: Killer of Killers, seemed to earn a human the respect of the Predators from being hunted.
Prey’s end credits feature a series of caves that depict the events of the film and tease what might come after. The final painting shows three Predator vessels arriving over the tribe. While this initially seemed to set upPrey 2, now, within the context ofPredator: Killer of Killers, it reveals thatNaru herself was captured and taken prisoner by the Predators. With this big reveal at the end ofPredator: Killer of Killers, what does that mean forPrey 2,or will there even be aPrey 2?
What Does This Mean for ‘Prey 2’?
SincePreyhit Hulu in August 2022 and earned some of the best reviews in thePredatorfranchise, fans have been hoping for a follow-up film. However, while director Dan Tractenberg was said to be working on follow-ups toPrey, a directPrey 2was never mentioned. In 2024, it was reported thatTractenberg was developing twoPredatorfilms, which were initially reported asPredator: BadlandsandPrey 2.Prey 2eventually turned out to bePredator: Killer of Killers, a top-secret project with the idea of a direct sequel toPreybeing used to throw scoopers off the scent.
The reveal of Amber Midthunder’s Naru in the cryo pod container suggests thatPredator: Killer of KillersisPrey 2, or at least a loose sequel to those events. LikePrey, Predator: Killer of Killersfollows the Predator in different time periods, facing off against different warriors throughout history. Both films were released on Hulu, giving them a distribution link and a thematic and stylistic one.
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Now we have a loose two-parter that could pay off with a third spiritual sequel to make it a trilogy.This could bePredator: Badlandsor something far bigger, bringing back an idea forPredator 3that was pitched in the 1990s. This would open the door for various franchise leads like Arnold Schwaranegger, Danny Glover, Adrien Brody, and Alice Braga to return alongside Amber Midthunder’s Naru.
There is also the strong possibility thatPredator: Killer of Killersmight be teasing future developments and potential reveals inPredator: Badlands. With Dan Tractenberg directing both films andPrey, there are likely to be strong links between the three films. One of the species in the coliseum resembles one of the kaiju-like aliensseen in thePredator: Badlandstrailer.
It is worth noting that the final fight inPredator: Killer of Killersoccurs in an unspecified period. All we know is that it’s after World War II, but given the film never reveals how much, if any, time has passed since the last abduction to being awoken before battle,Predator: Badlandsmight be taking place in the Earth’s far future. Characters inPredator: Killer of Killers, potentially even the Naru tease, might pay off this fall whenPredator: Badlandshits theaters.
