The Predator franchise is aiming to make a big comeback next year with Shane Black directing the fourth installment of the franchise. Well, sixth if you count those Alien crossovers. Over the last couple months, The Predator has been building a solid cast, and if all goes well, they'll soon be adding an actor who you would want to have with the right firepower when things get messy: former Punisher Thomas Jane.
According to THR, Thomas Jane is in final negotiations to join The Predator, though no details were provided about the character he would be playing. Given his history with action-oriented projects, one can surmise he'll probably be firing a gun during the movie, though whether he'll be working directly with the main protagonists or has his own plans in motion remains to be seen. The Predator's production is scheduled to begin in Vancouver next month, so Jane is surely one of the last members of the main cast to be brought aboard.
Thomas Jane is arguably best known for playing Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher, in the Marvel vigilante's 2004 movie. The actor was supposed to return for a sequel, but he later dropped out due to creative differences, and that Punisher movie later became the reboot Punisher: War Zone. Jane later reprised Punisher in the 2012 fan film Dirty Laundry. Outside the world of Marvel, Jane's notable credits include Boogie Nights, The Thin Red Line, Deep Blue Sea, Before I Wake and the TV series Hung. He also voiced Jonah Hex in the animated short film DC Showcase: Jonah Hex, and he can currently be seen as Detective Joe Miller in the Syfy series The Expanse.
No specific details for The Predator have been revealed yet, though Shane Black has said that contrary to earlier rumors, the movie will not be set in a suburban neighborhood. It's been said that the latest Predator installment will have several of the alien hunters running around, but that hasn't been confirmed yet. Besides Thomas Jane, the main cast includes Narcos' Boyd Holbrook as the main protagonist, an ex-Marine; X-Men: Apocalypse's Olivia Munn as a scientist; Moonlight's Trevante Rhodes as the best friend of Holbrook's character; Keegan-Michael Key as a man who will team up with Holbrook and Rhodes' characters; and The People vs. O.J. Simpson's Sterling K. Brown is in negotiations to play a government agent who imprisons the main protagonist, but must later work with the hero to stop the monster. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's Larry Fong has also been added as the cinematographer.
The Predator is slated for release on February 9, 2018. Let us know what you think of Thomas Jane possibly joining the movie in the comments below.
