Arnold Schwarzenegger Confirms Return for New ‘Predator’ Sequel

After years of subpar sequels and spin-offs, the Predator franchise is now stronger than ever thanks to the visionary tales crafted by director Dan Trachtenberg. And it seems that he aims to follow up this success by delivering on one of the most iconic promises in action movie history. That’s right, almost two decades later, he’ll be back.

Beginning all the way back in 1987, the first Predator introduced audiences to what would become one of the most iconic villains in sci-fi action history. The titular alien warrior finds itself doing battle with a small group of elite mercenaries on a hostage saving mission, with each one being terminated until only one remains: Dutch. Played by another icon of the action world and one of the biggest names in Hollywood, Arnold Schwarzenegger, audiences have wondered when, in this time of legacy sequels and with the Predator series now going from strength to strength, Schwarzenegger would be brought back. Well, according to The Austrian Oak himself, that time is now.

Appearing at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio (via TheArnoldFans), the action movie superstar revealed that he has spoken with Prey and Predator: Badlands director Dan Trachtenberg about a return, revealing that the filmmaker “wants me to be in the next Predator.”

“They did an additional Predator, and the director (Dan Trachtenberg) has been doing a great job of that. Now, he wants me to be in the next Predator. We’ve talked about it. As a matter of fact, FOX studios has kind of rediscovered “Arnold”. They’ve come to me and said, ‘We want you to do Predator.”

Alongside the Predator update, Schwarzenegger had even more exciting news for action fans, revealing that in their rediscovery of “Arnold,” as he puts it, the studio is also looking to revive both the Conan the Barbarian and Commando franchises with long-awaited sequels.

But while both projects have been in and out of the works for years, it’s a Predator return that seems the most likely right now. Arnie’s long, long-awaited comeback has already been teased recently, with the final moments of last year’s animated anthology film Predator: Killer of Killers revealed that Schwarzenegger’s Dutch, who, of course, survived his run-in with a Yautja, is alive and being kept in suspended animation (which could mean deaging the actor in live-action?) alongside other victors. These include Prey’s hero Naru (Amber Midthunder), with Trachtenberg having since teased an Avengers-style team-up in a future installment.

No doubt Arnold Schwarzenegger’s return to the Predator franchise would cause all manner of fanfare, with the idea of Dutch teaming up with Naru too good to pass up. And while Schwarzenegger’s comeback may seem like an obvious move for the series, Trachtenberg has proven with Prey, Killer of Killers, and Badlands that he has no intention of doing what’s expected, with the filmmaker likely to have some surprising tricks up his sleeve. If nothing else, after promising time and again over the years that he’d be back, it’s now looking like Schwarzenegger will finally live up to that promise where Predator is concerned.