Much like the career of Arnold Schwarzenegger himself, the Predator franchise has had its ups and downs over the years. The original Predator, however, is one of Arnold’s most popular action films from his classic era. With a new film in the series looming on the horizon, and Schwarzenegger, making a recent habit of dusting off his old movies for new entries, one has to wonder if he’ll be making a return to this world as well. While nothing is guaranteed, it looks like the return of Dutch is at least a distinct possibility.
Three weeks ago it was confirmed that the long gestating return of the Predator franchise would be happening, with director Shane Black at the helm. Beyond a teaser poster, however, we know nothing about the project, apparently called The Predator. Arnold Schwarzenegger was at the annual Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus Ohio when TheArnoldFans.com asked him if he will return for the new film. The answer wasn’t a yes, but it also wasn’t a no. He said:
I haven’t talked with him (Shane Black) yet, but I’m going to meet with him for lunch sometime soon. Just as soon as I’m finished with this (Arnold’s Sports Festival) and The Apprentice, and all this stuff. But I will get together with him. If there is any news, we’ll of course let you know right away.
While this could mean many things, the fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Shane Black are planning to meet and talk Predator seems to mean that there is at least the possibility of Arnold showing up in the new film. How many qualifiers can you put in one sentence? If there were no plans to include Arnold there would be no reason for the two to meet and talk, right?
Of course, even if we assume that this means Arnold Schwarzenegger may show up, it could be for a variety of different reasons. He could have just a brief cameo, or a supporting role. It’s possible they could be looking to bring Dutch back for the lead, but that’s probably the least likely of the potential scenarios. Regardless of how much experience the character may have with the Predator, do you really send a guy that age out into the jungle to fight one? But really, we know we just want him out there to say one thing.
The thing we can be fairly certain about is that a returning Arnold Schwarzenegger likely won’t be a fanservice cameo with him playing a different role. Our understanding is that the new Predator will be a sequel, and occur in the original universe, rather than a reboot, so it wouldn’t make much sense to bring Arnold back to play a new part.
Do you want to see Arnold Schwarzenegger return for another go at The Predator? Let us know your thoughts below, or test your knowledge with the trivia video... We'll keep you updated on the Predator situation as more information becomes available.
