Predator: Badlands director Dan Trachtenberg has shut down fan theories suggesting that Broken Tusk will return in the new movie through the new Yautja, Dek.
A first for the franchise, Dek is a Predator who leads Badlands as a young Yautja and the son of Njohrr. However, after fans noticed his resemblance to a young Broken Tusk, theories began circulating that Dek is actually the character from the Dark Horse comics.
Is Dek from Predator: Badlands Broken Tusk?
During an event at MCM London, a fan mentioned that Dek looked like a young Broken Tusk and asked Dan Trachtenberg if he would like to see Aliens vs. Predator comics protagonist Machiko Noguchi in a film.
“I think she’s a very cool character, as is Broken Tusk,” he said (via GamesRadar). “I think we are drawing on so much inspiration from all the characters in the comics.”
The filmmaker added that he wasn’t sure whether he would feature Noguchi in his take on the franchise or include “direct reimaginings of issues of comics and characters from them.”
“But we are certainly drawing so much more inspiration from the comics—especially with this film and Killer of Killers—more so than we ever have before in any of the movies,” he continued.
True enough, Trachtenberg previously said that Badlands was “the first Predator movie to draw inspiration so heavily from the comic books.”
However, while the upcoming film draw extensive inspiration from comic stories and characters, it’s not a direct retelling of any of its narrative. Instead, it uses ideas and themes from the comics to create a new original story.
What is Predator: Badlands About?
Badlands follows Dek, who becomes an outcast after being deemed a weak Yautja by his father.
To earn his place in the clan and gain his father’s approval, he sets out on a mission to travel to the “most dangerous planet in the universe,” Genna, to prove himself as a warrior by hunting an unkillable and elusive creature known as the Kalisk—one even his father feared.
Along the way, he meets a legless Weyland-Yutani synth with a perky personality named Thia, and together they forge an alliance like no other.
Despite their differences, Thia helps Dek complete his mission to kill the Kalisk and earn the respect of his clan and father.
Starring Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek and Elle Fanning as Thia, Badlands is set to release on November 7.
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