Predator: Badlands Secretly Solves a 20-Year Alien Franchise Mystery

The Predator franchise is finally stepping into new territory. With Predator: Badlands, the story jumps into the future — closer than ever to the Alien timeline. For years, Predator movies mostly took place on present-day Earth or in the past, while Alien stories unfolded far ahead in space. But now, things are about to collide in ways fans didn’t expect.

So where exactly does Predator: Badlands fit in the Alien and Predator universe? The answer isn’t clear-cut — and that’s part of the fun.

A Mystery Timeline by Design

Predator: Badlands doesn’t tell us exactly when it happens, and that’s no accident. The movie includes signs that it’s set long after previous Predator films — especially because it features the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, a major link to the Alien universe.

Director Dan Trachtenberg explained that the team purposely kept the timeline vague. “We decided to set ourselves well into the future,” he said in an interview with IGN. That way, the movie doesn’t have to compete with ongoing projects like Alien: Earth or Alien: Romulus.

This confirms one thing — Predator: Badlands happens long after all other Predator films. Based on clues like Weyland-Yutani’s space colonization programs and the use of advanced androids, it’s safe to assume the movie takes place decades (if not centuries) beyond Alien: Covenant and Alien: Earth.

A Future That Connects Two Universes

The Alien timeline places the Weyland-Yutani merger around the year 2099. That means Predator: Badlands must occur sometime after that — possibly far beyond Alien: Resurrection (which happens in 2318).

The movie’s futuristic tech, from upgraded loaders to new MU/TH/UR systems, looks far more advanced than what we saw in Aliens or Alien 3. Because of that, many fans believe Badlands happens in the 200-year gap between Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection.

But Trachtenberg later confirmed it actually takes place after Alien: Resurrection — making it the furthest point in the combined Alien–Predator timeline so far.

This setup gives the filmmakers endless creative freedom. By keeping things open-ended, they can easily connect Predator: Badlands to a future Alien vs. Predator crossover if they want — something both Trachtenberg and Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez have teased.

The Complete Timeline (Simplified)

Here’s where Predator: Badlands lands compared to other key events:

• Predator (1987)
• Predator 2 (1997)
• Alien vs. Predator (2004)
• Predators (2010)
• The Predator (2018)
• Prometheus (2093)
• Alien: Covenant (2104)
• Alien: Earth (2120)
• Alien (2122)
• Alien: Romulus (2142)
• Alien 3 (2179)
• Alien: Resurrection (2318)
• Predator: Badlands — after 2318

That officially makes Predator: Badlands the most futuristic story in either franchise.

Could ‘Badlands’ Revive Alien vs. Predator?

There’s another reason Predator: Badlands is exciting — it might quietly bring the Alien vs. Predator storyline back into canon.

Earlier Predator movies have referenced crossover moments, like the spear made from a Xenomorph tail seen in both the 2004 film and The Predator (2018). While Alien movies mostly ignored the AVP films, Badlands could be setting the stage for them to reconnect.

In AVP: Requiem, we saw Yutani Corp. get its hands on Predator tech, hinting at future experiments that could lead to space travel and alien weapon research. Predator: Badlands builds on that idea, showing a universe where Weyland-Yutani already knows about the Yautja — the real name of the Predator species.

Even The Predator (2018), though divisive, might secretly tie in. That film introduced scientists studying Predator technology, which could explain how humans later learned their language and behavior. By the time Badlands happens, it’s clear humans and Predators have been aware of each other for generations.