There are many fan theories about the story of Prey 2, and some could pose major changes for the Predator franchise. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg and released on Hulu in 2022, the first Prey is one of the best-received of all the movies in the Predator franchise. Due to its acclaim and popularity on the streaming service, viewers are now expecting for a sequel to the prequel, though Disney’s 20th Century Studios has yet to greenlight the follow-up.
Prey is set in 1719 and follows a young Comanche hunter named Naru (Amber Midthunder), who faces off against a Predator (or “Yautja“) hunting her people in the woods. The ending of the movie presents a clear setup for the possibility of a Prey 2. Aside from the possibility of Naru as the franchise’s first repeat protagonist, there is an abundance of theories and possibilities for what the Prey sequel could entail, and at least seven are big enough to drastically change the Predator franchise.
7 Naru Joins The Predators
In terms of the Predator franchise’s timeline, Naru is one of the first known humans to have defeated a Predator. This has led to the fan theory that Naru might actually join the Predators upon their return teased in Prey‘s end credits scene. While Predators and humans have occasionally fought side-by-side — most notably against Xenomorphs in the Aliens vs. Predator films — Naru being inducted into the Predator culture would be a huge change for the franchise on multiple levels.
To begin with, it would indicate that Naru has come to relate far more with Predators than humans, seeing their hunter-warrior culture as one that calls to her. It would also be the first time the Yautja culture have taken in a human as one of their own, which would surely be regarded as the highest honor they could bestow. With that, it would also not only reveal the Predators regard Naru as the greatest human hunter they have ever encountered but could set up a situation of Naru potentially hunting humans alongside the Predators.
6 Predators Will Have Plasma Cannons In Prey 2
With the Predators returning to Earth during the ending of Prey, another theory has suggested that they might be upgrading their artillery substantially with their famed shoulder-mounted plasma canons. While these would be seen throughout the Predator franchise, the Feral Predator seen in Prey would rely on comparatively less advanced weaponry. This has led to the notion that Prey takes place before the Predators developed their plasma canons, but their inclusion in Prey 2 would obviously point to that not being the case.
Given the new design of the Predator seen in Prey, the Predators landing on Earth after him might reveal that weapons like the plasma canons are not necessarily a constant throughout the Predator’s home world. The 2010 sequel Predators previously introduced the concept of warring tribes within the Yautja culture, and Prey‘s Predator could be another such variant from a tribe that does not use plasma canons, either from cultural reasons or being less technologically advanced. Alternatively, Naru’s victory in Prey might well have sent a message to the Predator culture of a need to break out the big guns to effectively hunt humans.
5 Naru Gives The Pistol To A Predator
One of the most intriguing Predator franchise Easter eggs found in Prey is the flintlock pistol Naru receives from Raphael Adolini (Bennett Taylor), the interpreter for Prey‘s French fur trappers. Adolini’s pistol was previously seen in Predator 2, with the Elder Predator gifting it to LAPD detective Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover). With Prey and Predator 2‘s stories separated by 277 years, this begs the question of how Adolini’s pistol eventually finds its way to Harrigan, and one possibility could be Naru gifting it to a Predator.
With Naru showing herself to be a very formidable hunter in Prey, the Predator’s warrior code makes Naru a human to be viewed with great respect. Naru, in turn, might reciprocate that reverence, and in a show of respect from one hunter to another, might pass Adolini’s flintlock pistol onto a Predator — perhaps even the very Elder Predator seen in Predator 2 — the first known instance of such a trade in the Predator franchise. This could work particularly well if Prey 2 involves Naru being forced to join forces with a Predator against a common enemy, or with the possibility of Naru joining the Predator culture herself.
4 Naru Meeting Dutch Would Have Huge Implications
While Major Alan “Dutch” Schaeffer is one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most iconic characters, he has never made a return in the Predator franchise despite numerous attempts to make it happen. Dan Trachtenberg has indicated in an interview that Schwarzenegger’s comeback could potentially come to pass in Prey 2. He shared, “All I’ll say is — there’s still time for those guys. They’re still around, and wouldn’t that be awesome?” Given that Naru and Dutch are separated by several centuries, there are only two practical ways for them to meet in Prey 2: either the Predators possess time-travel technology, or Naru gains a highly extended lifespan by joining the Predators.
Time travel would be a massive left turn for the Predator franchise to take, so the latter scenario seems far more likely for Dutch to appear in Prey 2. At the same time, Schwarzenegger would not necessarily have to return as Dutch in Prey 2. Instead, a more straightforward approach could involve Schwarzenegger appearing as a different character altogether, possibly even an ancestor of Dutch’s, with him and Naru joining forces against the returning Yautja hunters.
3 The Predators Are Hunting Naru Specifically In Prey 2
While another human hunt is set up at the end of Prey, the way it happens in Prey 2 might not be as straightforward as in other Predator movies. Instead of the generalized hunt the Yautja normally embark upon, Prey 2 could involve the new Predators having Naru as their singular target, and this could be with the aim of maintaining the secrecy of their activities. The Predator franchise has long shown the Predators taking great measures to keep their existence hidden from humans, and Naru might be one of the first humans to live to tell others about the Predators.
This could greatly incentivize the Predators to take out Naru, and by extension, her entire tribe. But their targeting of Naru could also be motivated by pride. Naru’s victory could inspire a rogue group of Yautja hunters to arrive on Earth to go after her with the goal of hunting an especially challenging human warrior. In either scenario, this would be a big change for the Predator franchise, as it would effectively see the Predators go from hunters to assassins.
2 Prey 2 Will Involve A Human Villain Opposite Naru
The Feral Predator seen in Prey is hardly the only antagonist in the movie, with the French fur trappers arriving as an extremely vicious set of secondary human villains. The Predator franchise has frequently involved human villains in the background, such as Predator 2‘s Peter Keyes (Gary Busey). Prey 2 could step that up a notch with the possibility of a human villain elevated to the status of the film’s primary villain against Naru.
Such a human antagonist could be anyone from vengeful associates of Prey‘s fur trappers, another Native American hunter out to take down Naru, or any number of other possibilities. Prey 2 would then have the perfect situation for Naru to fully join forces with one or more Predators, with her human enemy seeing her as a rival standing in the way of the ultimate trophy, or a traitor to her own people. In turn, this could also easily facilitate the scenario of Naru being taken in with a Yautja tribe, and mark a big change for the Predator franchise in having a human character as its primary antagonist.
1 Naru Sacrifices Herself To Save Her People In Prey 2
At the opposite end of the spectrum from Naru aligning herself with the Predators, Prey 2 could also do the complete opposite and have Naru give her life in battle against the returning Yautja to save her fellow Comanches. With what appears to be a larger fleet of Predators arriving in Prey‘s end credits tease, Naru and her people seem likely to be up against much more harrowing odds than just one Predator in Prey 2. As the only Comanche to have slain a Predator, Naru would surely take the lead against the new Yautja visitors in Prey 2.
However, Naru being on the front lines against the new Predators inevitably makes her their first target, which Naru would doubtlessly be aware of. This could lead to Naru making the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of her people in Prey 2. No other Predator movie has seen its human hero or heroine fall on the sword to defeat the Predators, and should Naru do so in Prey 2, she’d become the most legendary human warrior of the Predator franchise.
