The Alien franchise has long been separate from the Predator franchise, despite the latter’s inclusion of the Xenomorph via an Easter egg. As longtime fans know, Alien, Predator, and Alien vs. Predator have each had their own canon, respectively.

Die-hard fans of Alien often maintain that the franchise is best left alone, free of the influence of crossovers. Alien has always had a bleak, nihilistic vision of the future, where runaway capitalism and imperialism have left humanity’s outlook rather grim. In contrast, the Predator franchise has always had an 80s action vibe, with an embrace of cheesy one-liners and brawny machismo. Aside from everyone’s favorite Predator 2 Xenomorph trophy skull, the two franchises haven’t fused well on the silver screen.

The AVP films, while passionately defended by some fans, were mostly box-office failures, and have been discarded by the community as non-canon stories deserving of the trash heap. (I say this as someone who quite enjoys these films for what they are.)

However, the Alien and Predator franchises have entered a new era. Prey (2022) and Alien: Romulus (2024) received high praise from critics and dominated their respective platforms. With two accomplished directors in Dan Trachtenberg and Fede Álvarez, these franchises are in good standing, and it seems the powers-that-be in Disney and 20th Century Studios have decided it’s time to move ahead with what comes next: a return of Alien vs. Predator.

Now, this won’t take the form of the titular clash found in the 2000s films. It’s fairly well documented now that both directors have stated the best way for a crossover to happen will be via the surprise, that fans will go in expecting a Predator or Alien film only to see a Yautja or Xenomorph show up. But it seems Disney has forgone the suspense and simply put it right out there.

Both Predator films releasing in 2025, Predator: Badlands and Predator: Killer of Killers, have revealed apparent connections to Alien in their trailers. Elle Fanning’s character in Predator: Badlands is in fact a Weyland-Yutani synthetic; and the evil corporation appears to have vehicles and even mercenaries operating on Kalisk (the death planet featured in the film). The upcoming animated film, Predator: Killer of Killers, teased a Yautja that appears to be wearing a cape of Xenomorph tails, though this hasn’t been confirmed.

The evidence is piling up that Disney and 20th Century Studios plan on merging the franchises, perhaps with a Marvel Cinematic Universe style future in mind. The question fans must face is a simple one: do we want this?

The benefits would certainly be many. If Disney is serious about building a universe around these franchises, we will likely get yearly film releases, more television shows, and a slew of new video games. But as Marvel and Star Wars fans know, more isn’t always better, particularly when the material isn’t handled by someone who knows or even cares for the IP.

While I’ve always hungered for more AVP content (there are just so many good stories out there), I worry about the Alien franchise losing its unique nature. The bleak social criticism and pessimistic view of humanity allows for powerful storytelling that doesn’t cater to box office sales or mass-production. I worry that the purity of the franchise will be lost as Disney drains its life for profits. I also like that three continuities have existed separately in Alien, Predator, and AVP and wouldn’t mind it staying that way.

But I also LOVE getting more content for my favorite franchises… it’s quite the dilemma. For better or worse, we’re moving forward—let’s hope its everything we’ve hoped for.

Tell us what you think! Are you worried about Disney and 20th Century Studios merging Alien and Predator? Share your reactions in the comments below or join the conversation on Boss Rush Network’s Discord, Facebook, and Twitter.

Featured Image: 20th Century Studios