The Predator's Alternate Endings

played by then-unknown Jean-Claude Van Damme) being so atrocious it had to be completely redesigned. The end product was an instant classic, however, thanks to a tight screenplay, tense direction, and an endlessly charismatic cast led by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Of course, Predator's success led to sequels, but the Predator franchise has evolved in odd ways. It took a 14-year hiatus following the lukewarm reception to 1990’s Black actually appeared in the original movie as one of Schwarzenegger’s ill-fated commandos, and he wanted to resurrect the franchise as a genuine event.

Sadly, the production proved to be a messy one, with negative test screenings leading to sweeping reshoots and narrative tinkering. The released movie bears these scars, suffering from rushed and confused storytelling. And this extends to the ending, where the heroes learn the Fugitive Predator came to Earth to present humanity with a gift against an invasion; an Iron Man-style suit of armor dubbed the Predator Killer. This scene was widely derided as ridiculous and out of sync with the rest of the movie. While not all of them were shot, there were other denouements considered, so let’s break down the unused endings of The Predator and see if any of them were an improvement.

This Page: Arnold Schwarzenegger's Cameo & McKenna's Predator Dare
Next Page: Alien's Ripley Connection & Predator Killer Newt

Arnold Schwarzenegger's Ending Cameo

Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dutch in Predator (1987)

Despite Predator being one of his signature movies, it’s a surprise Schwarzenegger has never reprised his role as Dutch. This isn’t from a lack of effort on the part of producers as he’s been offered cameos in pretty much every sequel aside from Alien Vs Predator: Requiem. Fans have been crying out for his return but for The Predator, the studio insisted on introducing the audience to new characters. Black wrote a prominent cameo for Schwarzenegger nonetheless, with the intent of giving the character a larger role in a potential sequel. Unfortunately, Schwarzenegger wasn’t interested in a cameo - and he didn’t seem to the like the script itself very much - so he declined.

Schwarzenegger's Dutch cameo would have been the final scene of the movie, with a helicopter appearing after the heroes have defeated the Upgrade Predator. McKenna (Boyd Holbrook), Bracket (Olivia Munn), and Rory (Jacob Tremblay) approached the chopper, with none other than Dutch Schaeffer stepping out. He tells them to hop onboard, with Rory asking if he should climb on as well. Dutch smiles and replies, "Especially you." So, it was a tiny cameo that teased the Dutch’s expanded role in a Predator sequel, in addition to implying Rory would figure into the military’s plan to fight an impending Predator invasion of Earth.

McKenna's Dare To The Predators

Following Schwarzenegger’s cameo rejection, it seems The Predator would have ended on a much quieter note. Following the defeat of the Upgrade Predator, the survivors mourn the loss of The Predator's Loonies and bury the various mementos Rory had been secretly collecting from each of them. Then, they would have looked up at the dawning sky, which is still twinkling with stars, with McKenna pointing to one of them and daring it to "come and get us motherf*****s." Rory then onishes his father’s bad language, and the group gets up and leaves. It’s not exactly a rousing note to end on, but McKenna’s line hints that he knows there will be future battles to fight. That said, it's easy to see why the studio felt this ending needed a little more oomph to get audiences excited for another entry in the Predator franchise.

Page 2 of 2: Alien's Ripley Connection & Predator Killer Newt

Alien's Ripley Was The Predator Killer

It’s no secret The Predator underwent a huge reshoot that changed the third act. Instead of being hunted in a forest by the Predator hybrids dubbed The Menagerie. The heroes then escape on an armored vehicle while fighting off the creatures, thereby resulting in the deaths of some key characters.

Test audiences reacted poorly to this section, so The Predator was retooled to put more focus on the Upgrade Predator as the antagonist and less of an emphasis on the last-minute reshoot was organized a few months prior to the film’s release to add a cliffhanger. They ultimately chose the Predator Killer armor but they shot two more variations that would have got fans talking.

One alternative ending revealed the Fugitive Predator's mystery pod was covered in Weyland-Yutani logos and opened to reveal none other than Lex's Alien tail spear at Project Stargazer’s base – but the movie’s hard right into teasing a new AVP crossover reeks of studio desperation.

Needless to say, the sleeping Ripley is portrayed by a double and not Sigourney Weaver, and it's hard to imagine a scenario in which she would have agreed to return. Weaver had previously insisted on Ripley’s death in Alien 3 to rule out an appearance in a proposed Alien Vs Predator crossover, which is a concept she found horrible. She would go on to bouth 2004's Alien Vs Predator, and while she’s expressed interest in some day returning as Ripley, this probably isn’t what she had in mind.

Aliens' Newt Was The Other Predator Killer

Sigourney Weaver as Ripley and Newt in Aliens

To this day, one of the most controversial aspects of the Alien franchise was the decision to Alien 5 would have seemingly retconned Alien 3 and Resurrection out of existence, and then continued the adventures of Ripley, Hicks, and Newt.

Without a doubt, the strangest alternate ending for The Predator centered on the Xenomorph itself was the perfect Predator Killer.