If fan theories annoy you, this one probably will too. You’ve been warned.
When alleged script details leaked onto the net last year, it was revealed that co-writers Shane Black and Fred Dekker had written a new “genetically enhanced” and super-sized beast into The Predator, which was met with mixed reactions from fans. That “Ultimate Predator” wasn’t present in the initial teaser trailer, but was soon glimpsed in a TV spot and, just today, a brand new, full length trailer for Shane Black’s film. Going by what that trailer is presenting to us, the “Ultimate Predator” will either be the film’s main hero or its villain, either working alongside the humans to kill off the Predators that have arrived on Earth and/or posing an even bigger threat to all of humanity. We won’t know until this coming September, in all likelihood.
So what exactly is this “Ultimate Predator”? Who made it, how did they make it, and why? Well, according to the official plot details, the Predators in The Predator are “stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before, having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species.” Presumably, that excerpt from the plot is referring to the film’s “regular” Predators, which have seemingly been using DNA procured on planets they’ve conquered in order to make themselves bigger and badder than before. One planet they haven’t (yet) conquered, however, is Earth. But have the humans of Earth perhaps taken it upon themselves to meld their DNA with that of the Predators? And is that where the “Ultimate Predator” came from?
At the 1:08 mark in this week’s new trailer, we see a “regular” Predator strapped to a table, clearly being experimented on by a team of human scientists. Now what’s interesting here is that (alleged) plot details from that aforementioned script leak indicated that the big bad of the film, the “Ultimate Predator,” was part Predator, part human. Mind you, that could’ve all been misinformation or, even if true, subsequently re-written or tweaked in re-shoots, but I couldn’t help but think back to that idea upon seeing the above image of a Predator strapped to a table, surrounded by scientists. Could this be the moment where the Predator DNA was extracted in order to create the massive “Ultimate Predator”?
And if so, where did the human DNA come from? That’s where my theory comes into play. What if, I publicly ponder today at the risk of being called an obsessive fan with way too much time on his hands, the new “Ultimate Predator” is actually a hybrid of a normal Predator and the first human being badass enough to defeat one… Dutch Schaefer.
Yes, I’m aware that we’ve been repeatedly told that Arnold Schwarzenegger won’t actually make an appearance in The Predator, but it’s worth noting that his involvement in the film had been initially rumored. And even if Arnold didn’t take part, is it so hard to believe that his character could play into the events of Shane Black’s film? After all, Dutch is the most iconic (human) character from the entire Predator franchise, and Black is clearly a fan of the series; Black, in case you need a reminder, both starred in and even helped write the original Predator! So how cool would it be if his new “Ultimate Predator” was, in a wild twist, part Dutch?!
As crazy as it sounds, it makes sense. If a team of mad scientists was cooking up an “Ultimate Predator” in a lab, why not combine Predator DNA with that of an alpha-warrior like Dutch? Hell, maybe even the Predators scooped up Dutch after the events of Predator and *they* used his DNA to upgrade their own kind. As glimpsed in the trailers, the “Ultimate Predator” has bulging muscles not unlike Arnold’s in the original classic, I must point out.
Sure, this is all pretty out there, but I’d also like to turn your attention to the official, verified Twitter account for the Predator franchise (and the new film), which re-tweeted this very theory from yours truly earlier today…
Wait. What. The official, verified PREDATOR Twitter account just re-tweeted this. Which is… interesting. Hmm! pic.twitter.com/ggvEQmRQlr
— John Squires (@FreddyInSpace) June 26, 2018
Interesting, if nothing more.
What we do know about The Predator, officially, is that it is linked to at least the first two films in the franchise, with Jake Busey played the son of his father’s character from Predator 2. Thus far, we’ve heard of no tangible connections to the events of the original Predator that’ll be present in Black’s film, which perhaps lends credence to the theory that the connection is being kept secret… for now. After all, would Shane Black really make a sequel to the original Predator films and *not* directly tie back into the classic that started it all?
Maybe he would. Or maybe the link comes in a different form entirely. Again, we won’t know until September 14. For now, this is just a wacky fan theory from a wacky fan.
What do YOU think the story is behind the Ultimate Predator?
