Predator: Badlands Almost Brought Back Fan-Favorite Franchise Star

The absence of Amber Midthunder‘s Naru in the new film Predator: Badlands may come as disappointment to many fans, but it wasn’t due to a lack of trying from director Dan Trachtenberg. In a recent discussion, Trachtenberg opened up about why the protagonist of 2022’s Prey didn’t show up in the latest entry in the revamped Predator franchise.

Amber Midthunder’s Naru could have been in Predator: Badlands

While speaking to ScreenTime, Dan Trachtenberg addressed the absence of Amber Midthunder in Predator: Badlands, stating that he had initially envisioned her playing a significant part in the film. However, due to plot alterations, he decided to save Naru’s appearance for bigger things “down the line.”

Explaining his creative decision to leave out Midthunder from Predator: Badlands, Trachtenberg noted, “I think I would say there’s a bigger plan down the line. I did think about the pairing of, before it was Thia, but then I thought, ‘Well, now, then I’m not doing the premise.’ And I really wanted to do the premise: The Predator’s protagonist, and no humans in the movie. And so it became, further down the line, we can do some cooler things, maybe.”

Notably, Predator: Badlands takes place in a completely different setting than 2022’s Prey and follows the journey of a young Predator outcast named Yautja Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) and his synthetic ally Thia (Elle Fanning). Dek ultimately forms an unusual bond with Thia during his journey to find his ultimate arch-nemesis.

At the time of writing, the fate of Amber Midthunder’s Naru in the Predator franchise remains unaddressed. Following her epic battle in Prey, Naru is briefly seen in the post-credits scene of Predator: Killer of Killers, which reveals that the brave Comanche warrior has long been frozen in stasis. As such, fans can expect Midthunder’s character to make a much-awaited return in the subsequent Predator movies.

In the meantime, fans can check out Predator: Badlands, the third entry in Trachtenberg’s revamped Predator franchise, when it hits theaters on November 7.

Originally reported by Apoorv Rastogi on SuperHeroHype.

Source: Comingsoon.net