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Disney Accused of Making Predator “Woke” After New Trailer Drops

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Posted on by Daniel Roberts
Elle Fanning in the 'Predator: Badlands' trailer

Credit: 20th Century Studios

The first trailer for Predator: Badlands (2025) has landed.

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who helmed the previous film, Prey, which premiered on Hulu and Disney+ in 2022, breaking streaming records and receiving critical praise, Predator: Badlands is the sixth live-action film in the ongoing series (or eighth if you include the two Alien vs. Predator spinoffs).

However, the new film doesn’t see the return of Amber Midthunder’s Naru, or the 1719 Great Plains setting. Instead, Disney’s latest Predator flick takes the action to a whole new world.

Badlands, which focuses on a Predator– a first for the franchise–stars Dimitrius Schuster–Koloamatangi as Dek, a Yautja (the official species name given to the titular alien), and Elle Fanning (Neon Demon), who plays Thia, a Weyland-Yutani android, connecting the franchise with Alien once again following the two Alien vs. Predator films. Whether or not those connections will be limited to Fanning’s android remains to be seen.

Watch the official trailer from 20th Century Studios below:

“Predator: Badlands, which stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, is set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator (Schuster-Koloamatangi), outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary,” the synopsis from The Walt Disney Company reads.

It adds: “The film is directed by Dan Trachtenberg and produced by John Davis, Dan Trachtenberg, Marc Toberoff, Ben Rosenblatt, Brent O’Connor.”

Judging by the trailer alone, the film appears to mirror Prey in both style and tone, even if it opts for a completely different shift in setting; this time, a world far from Earth. However, the most stand-out evolution of the franchise is the bold new Predator design.

Where the Predator–who varies slightly with each film–normally sports dreadlocks, this new creature, Dek, has a sleeker, more refined appearance. As such, they appear far more humanized than any of their predecessors.

Dek in the 'Predator: Badlands' trailer
Credit: 20th Century Studios

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But, of course, this has not gone unnoticed by many fans, as some particularly unhinged individuals are taking to X (formerly Twitter) to flood the comment sections on the new trailer with disgusting remarks about the newly designed Predator, Dek, who’s played by Dimitrius Schuster–Koloamatangi, an actor of Samoan and Tongan Heritage.

Criticism starts off reasonable, with one fan questioning the nature of the creature, asking whether the new design is some sort of hybrid as seen in previous films:

Is this a Hybrid Predator? It looked way too small and skinny for a Predator to me

Another simply describes the design as an “abomination” and refuses to watch the film:

This abomination already makes me want to avoid the movie entirely.

However, the “anti-woke” mob swiftly moves in for the kill, with one describing the new Predator design as “DEI,” which means “Diversity Equity and Inclusion”:

they DEI-ed the predator, lol

“Another IP ruined, thanks,” says another. “Why don’t you just make them pink & gay so we can speed this madness? I mean, at this rate it’s going to happen”:

One user who describes the Predator as “woke” inexplicably warns audiences to “hide” their children:

Haha classic woke predator. Hide your children!

“They’re gonna make him a misunderstood trans refugee and the humans are just xenophobic bigots,” another says:

Related: “That’s Just Noise”, ‘Prey’ Star Hits Back at Negative Criticisms

Comments continue to devolve the further you scroll, with some users even making disgusting racial slurs and mocking disabilities in a bid to poke fun at the new Predator.

Badlands is one of two Predator movies releasing this year; the other is an animated film titled Predator: Killer of Killers. Both films are directed by Dan Trachtenberg.

When Are the New Predator Movies Available To Watch?

Predator: Killer of Killers streams in the United States on Hulu and on Disney+ internationally on June 6. Predator: Badlands releases in theaters on November 7.

Watch the trailer for Predator: Killer of Killers from 20th Century Studios Canada below:

“The anthology story follows three of the fiercest warriors in human history: a Viking raider guiding her young son on a bloody quest for revenge; a ninja in feudal Japan who turns against his Samurai brother in a brutal battle for succession; and a WWII pilot who takes to the sky to investigate an otherworldly threat to the Allied cause,” The Walt Disney Company synopsis for Predator: Killer of Killers reads. “But while all these warriors are killers in their own right, they are merely prey for their new opponent — the ultimate killer of killers.

It adds: “Predator: Killer of Killers is directed by Dan Trachtenberg, with Josh Wassung, from animation company The Third Floor, serving as co-director. The film is written by Micho Robert Rutare and the story is by Trachtenberg Dan and Rutare, based on characters created by James Thomas & John Thomas. John Davis, Trachtenberg, Marc Toberoff, and Ben Rosenblatt are the producers, with Lawrence Gordon, James E. Thomas, John C. Thomas, and Stefan Grube serving as executive producers.”

What do you think about the new look for the Predator in the Badlands trailer? Share your thoughts in the comments down below!

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