How The New Predator Movie Could Fill Old Plot Holes

The impact of the 1987 alien action thriller "Predator" cannot be understated, easily being one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's most beloved and memorable films. The epic tale of a special forces unit deployed to the jungles of South America on a rescue mission, only to be stalked by a hunter from the stars, was a blockbuster hit, and spawned an entire franchise worth of sequel films, comic books, and video games. The "Predator" franchise has become iconic, with only the insectoid xenomorphs of the Alien franchise coming close to stealing their thunder. (The two juggernaut franchises have even clashed twice in two tentpole "Alien vs. Predator" films.)

With a 5th Predator film in the works with writer Patrick Aison ("Jack Ryan," "Kingdom") providing the script and director Dan Trachtenberg ("10 Cloverfield Lane") at the helm, an opportunity has arisen to address some of the lingering plot holes left over from the "Predator" franchise's three decades. Here are some potential avenues that fans hope the filmmakers will explore.

Something easily lost amid the action and thrills each of the various "Predator" films provides is just how very little we actually know about the eponymous hunters themselves. While we've learned some hard facts — they travel to Earth in the hottest years to hunt; they stalk warriors and pit themselves against them in battle to obtain trophies; they will commit suicide to ensure their bodies and weapons are destroyed — so much about the hunters remains largely the realm of supplementary materials. Even the name of the species, the Yautja, is the product of this expanded media and never mentioned in the films, says AVP Fandom.

Learning more about the Yautja and their culture, particularly in the wake of both "Predators" and "The Predator," where there is a growing divide between the more honorable "classic" Predators and their hulking, more brutal "berserker" counterparts, would make for fascinating viewing, interspersed amid the high-stakes tension and action sequences.

One of the largest plot holes/threads left dangling early in the franchise comes at the end of "Predator 2." Having defeated the Yautja stalking the streets of Los Angeles in a pitched battle on the alien hunter's spacecraft, Detective Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) is confronted by a cadre of Yautja. Initially thinking he'll have to fight them all, Harrigan steels himself for a battle, but the hunters let him go, with the eldest among them tossing him an antique flintlock pistol with the inscription "Raphael Adolini, 1715." The implication is terrifyingly clear: the Yautja have been travelling to Earth long before the events of the original 1987 "Predator."

The concept of a "Predator" story set during the Age of Sail, or even before the advent of firearms, is a tantalizing one to explore. According to The Wrap, the fan film "Predator: Dark Ages" explores the idea of a group of knights stalked by one of the hunters, and it makes for intriguing viewing. One can only imagine what a Predator film set in feudal Japan, the Aztec empire, or during the Viking era might look like. With all of time and space as a backdrop, the creators behind "Predator 5" have opportunities aplenty to explore with the alien Yautja, and we cannot wait to see what's next.