"That's Just Noise", 'Prey' Star Hits Back at Negative Criticisms

Prey (2022) has been a huge success, breaking records on Hulu and Disney+, while also receiving glowing reviews from audiences and critics. Some are even going as far as saying that it’s the best sequel in the Predator series since the 1987 original with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

However, when the first trailer launched, some fans were concerned with the main protagonist being female, largely because of how a lot of studios these days tend to insert gender politics into their projects, with Marvel’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022) being the most recent example.

Prey Predator — Credit: 20th Century Studios

But, whether you like the film or not, Prey turned out to be anything but an anti-patriarchal project with a ham-fisted feminist agenda, with the main character Naru (Amber Midthunder) being determined to become a hunter within her tribe simply because she feels it’s her calling.

Now, in an interview with People, actress Amber Midthunder has responded to some of those criticisms. Here’s what she had to say:

“People are always going to say stuff, but that’s just noise. Honestly, those people have no idea what they’re talking about. First of all, I feel really proud of our movie and I think [director] Dan [Trachtenberg] is an incredible filmmaker. He has made something that people can eat their words over.”

Midthunder continued, explaining that her character Naru is anything but one with a “woke agenda”, saying that she’s “not a girl defying what men say she can and can’t do” and that she is simply an “individual who feels called to something”:

“I think a lot of people thought our movie would be some super-woke, F-the-patriarchy kind of a story, and that’s not what it’s about at all. It’s not a girl defying what men say she can and can’t do. It’s literally an individual who feels called to something and the people who know her don’t think that is her calling. That is so much more personal and, I think, as the character, harder to deal with than anything.”

She also went on to address the history of the Comanche people, as many fans have criticized the fact that a female individual like Naru is able to take on the Predator in the first place (even though the Predator is far less advanced that the one in the original 1987 film and beyond):

“People don’t know a lot about native history. Period. So they don’t know what kind of warriors we were. There are people who don’t even know that there are different tribes or languages. So already that’s coming from a place of ignorance. Then you look at it and you go, ‘Oh no, man. Comanche were really, really great warriors.’ They were known for being some of the fiercest warriors of all. And they did have female-warrior society, so there were women that fought and hunted. So yeah, I think you look at that and you just [tell yourself], ‘Alright, whatever, people are always going to say stuff.’ I’m proud of what we did.”

Prey Movie Poster — Credit: 20th Century Studios

While it’s understandable that some fans were skeptical when the Prey trailer first premiered, the final film speaks for itself, and doesn’t appear to carry any sort of political agenda. Which is more than we can say about movies like Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016), which alienated its own target audience before even hitting the theaters.

If you’ve yet to see the latest Predator sequel Prey, check out the official trailer below:

As per 20th Century Studios and Hulu, here’s the official synopsis for the fifth film in the Predator series, Prey:

Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago during 1719, the film follows Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior, who has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains. So when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect her people. The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien with a technologically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries.

— 20th Century Studios and Hulu

Prey follows Predator (1987), Predator 2 (1987), Alien vs. Predator (2004), Aliens vs. Predator: Reqiuem (2007), Predators (2010), and The Predator.

It remains to be seen whether there will be a follow-up to Prey, though director Dan Trachtenberg has hinted at future sequels. But here’s to hoping we’ll see more of Amber Midthunder as Naru.

Prey is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+. It stars Amber Midthunder (Naru), Dakota Beavers (Taabe), Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, Julian Black Antelope, Dane DiLiegro (the Predator).

Did you enjoy Prey? Let us know in the comments down below!