New Predator Variant Is Intimidating & Beastly In Stunning Art

Predator fan art introduces a beastly new variant of the iconic alien that gives the Yautja a new way to hunt. Released in 1987, the first Predator movie stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dutch, a commando team leader who faces off against a terrifying alien in the jungle. The film was a hit and there have now been five movies in total, with Prey (2022) being the most recent release. The Predator, technically called a Yautja, is next set to return in the upcoming Predator: Badlands, a film that will take the franchise into the future.

As the wait continues for Predator: Badlands, AilluminatedArt on Instagram shares a new batch of AI-generated images, imagining the Yautja warrior riding a Predator-like beast. The four images included with the post all include slight alterations to the beast and its rider, with the last making the new variant truly massive with a gaping jaw. Check out the fan art below:

What A New Predator Variant Would Mean For The Franchise

Will Badlands Feature A New Variant?

Though the technology the Predators are equipped with varies from movie-to-movie, the aliens themselves have remained fairly consistent overall in the mainline franchise. The most notable outliers include the Super Predator from Predators (2010), and the Predator dogs and the Ultimate Predator from 2018's The Predator. There's also Alien vs. Predator: Requiem's Predalien, a Yautja crossed with a Xenomorph, as seen in the Alien vs. Predator subfranchise, but those two movies exist separate from the franchise proper.

Related Every Type of Predator Variant Seen In The Movies (And Beyond) Here is every Predator variant seen in the Predator movies, comics, novels, and more, from 1987's Predator to 2018's The Predator.

It's not yet clear exactly what the Predator will look like in Predator: Badlands, as the first image from the movie only revealed the back of the creature's head, but the acclaimed Prey could provide an indication of what's to come. The 2022 film features a Predator that was familiar in design, but with different weaponry and a lack of armor. As this new film takes place in the future, the new Predator will likely feature more advanced armor and weaponry, and this could be a great way to push the franchise forward once more.

In addition to Predator: Badlands, Prey 2 is reportedly still in development.

Our Take On The New Predator Variant

When It Would Make Sense To Introduce Rideable Predator Beasts

With Predator dogs having been featured in the 2018 movie, it's certainly possible that some kind of larger, rideable variant will eventually be introduced in the future. Given director Dan Trachtenberg's sensibilities with the acclaimed Prey, though, it doesn't seem likely it will be introduced in Predator: Badlands, which he also directs.

Introducing such a creature would make a lot of sense if the franchise ever chooses to more fully explore Yautja Prime, the Predator's home world, as there are likely plenty of formidable beasts there. For now, it seems like fan art is the closest audiences will get to seeing a rideable Predator variant.

Source: @ai.art96