The Yautja from thePredatorfranchise gets a futuristic upgrade in a new batch of sleek sci-fi concept images. Released in 1987, John McTiernan’s originalPredatormovie kick-started a franchise that now consists of five main installments and two spinoffs. The titular alien has been a key antagonist to human characters in all of these films, boasting superior weaponry, gadgets, and armor. Even inPrey(2022), which takes the action back to the 1700s, theYautja uses an advanced cloaking deviceand array of high-tech weapons.
A new batch of AI-generated images fromColdstar Arton Instagram now gives the Predator a futuristic makeover, with four concepts imagining new armor designs for the iconic alien. Whilethe first image gives the armor an Iron Man-inspired flair, the second channels more of a Black Panther look, especially with the black and gold color scheme. The third gives the armor an all-red look reminiscent of the Praetorian Guards featured inStar Wars: The Last Jedi, while the fourth and final image is the most militaristic and tactical. Check out the four images below:
What Advanced Yautja Armor Would Mean For The Predator Franchise
Predators Are Already Much Stronger Than Humans
In the films thus far,one Predator is often more than a match for swathes of human characters, even in older armor designs. BecausePreytakes place hundreds of years in the past, it strips away some of the Yautja technology audiences will be familiar with, but even this version of the alien is highly deadly. Giving the creature an additional power buff by giving it advanced armor would mean that the humancharacters in thePredatorfranchiseare at an even greater disadvantage.
Every Weapon The Yautja Use In The Predator Movies, Ranked Worst To Best
The Yautja species pack a deadly array of versatile weaponry in the Predator films, including a few standout devices that strike fear into any human.
To even the odds,one potential solution would be to bring thePredatorfranchise into the future. This could mean that humans are given more advanced technology and perhaps even get some advanced exoskeleton armor suits themselves. Coincidentally,Dan Trachtenberg’sPredator: Badlands, the upcoming installment in the franchise, is reported to take place in the future, though rumored plot synopses for the film suggest that it will take place in a future closer to post-apocalyptic than to the more technology-dependent world seen inBlade Runner 2049.
Trachtenberg also directed thewell-reviewedPrey, the most acclaimed entry in the franchise next to the 1987 original.
Our Take On Advanced Armor For The Predators
How It Could Work
Whileradically altering the Predator armor for the main franchise would come with a number of challenges, it could certainly work in theAlien vs. Predatorsub-franchise. Though neither of these spinoff films were well-received, withAlien vs. Predator: Requiem(2007) being especially panned, this arm of the franchise seems like the place to take some more wild creative swings. It could certainly be fun to push this sub-franchise further into the future, introducing both more advanced Predators and potentially some evolved Xenomorphs.
For now, though, it looks like the Predator armor will probably experience more subtle evolutions rather than drastic overhauls, and this might be for the best. The classic Yautja silhouette and the alien species' gadgets, after all, are some core pieces of franchise iconography. If thePredatorfranchise ever does choose to make updates to the armor, however, the above concept images would be an interesting place to start.
Source:@coldstar.art
Predator
Predator is an action sci-fi franchise created by Jim and John Thomas, beginning with the original film released in 1987. The franchise follows a warrior alien race known as the Yautja who travel the far reaches of space looking for worthy prey to hunt, constantly bringing them to Earth due to the sheer amount of conflict harbored on it. The series has spun off into comic books and animated features and has even enjoyed several crossover events via film and video games with the Aliens franchise.
