Arnold Schwarzenegger’s possible return to the Predator series just got an interesting update from Prey director Dan Trachtenberg. Schwarzenegger was key to starting the franchise with his role as Dutch in the first 1987 film directed by John McTiernan.
Schwarzenegger hasn’t played Dutch in person since then, but the character did appear as a frozen body in Predator: Killer of Killers (2025) next to Prey’s (2022) Naru. As Trachtenberg gets ready for the release of Predator: Killer of Killers in November, fans are wondering how Dutch might be used in the series in the future.
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In a recent Empire interview (via ComicBook.com), Trachtenberg hinted that Dutch’s cameo in Killer of Killers might only be the start. He revealed that he and Schwarzenegger have talked about Dutch’s future in the franchise, with some exciting story ideas now possible. See Trachtenberg’s comment below:
I met Arnold, and he said, ‘You’d think I get, l’ll be back, yelled at me most, but it’s actually, Get to the chopper!” So, he’s well aware of the franchise’s staying power. He was excited to talk about what else we could do. Because there’s so much more story to tell now — you could tell how [Dutch and Naru] were captured, or what happens when they’re de-iced. Many possibilities.
Predator: Killer of Killers reviews were excellent, and it is now the highest-rated movie in the franchise on Rotten Tomatoes with 95%, just above Prey’s 94%. It was also very popular on Hulu. Even though a sequel hasn’t been announced yet, it’s clearly a strong possibility.
Trachtenberg’s words suggest that a follow-up to Killer of Killers is where fans might see Dutch again. This would mean Schwarzenegger would not appear on screen in person, but instead only provide his voice. Still, even just his voice could open the door for a possible live-action return later.
This hint about the Predator’s future also involves Naru’s future. The character played by Amber Midthunder was a big hit in the 2022 prequel, and Prey 2 is already being developed. Naru could then come back not just in her own film, but also in a Killer of Killers sequel with Dutch, making it a kind of Predator universe crossover.
For now, nothing official has been shared about what will come after Predator: Badlands. What Trachtenberg decides to do next could depend on how well Badlands performs with critics and audiences.
Seeing Dutch again in a Killer of Killers prequel or sequel would be exciting because of Schwarzenegger’s huge impact on the franchise. Prey earned great praise and gave new life to the series, but many fans still see the original 1987 film as the best.
Even though a live-action return for Schwarzenegger as Dutch would be exciting, the actor is now 78, so animation might be the more realistic option. The future of the Predator series is still uncertain, but fans might get more Dutch in the years to come.
Source: Empire via ComicBook