Ever since the Disney/Fox merger, the fate of the long-running Alien and Predator franchises has been up in the air. Not only are they extremely un-Disney properties, but Alien: Covenant and The Predator failed to light up the box office. As such, most assumed that Disney put them on ice and that they’ll re-emerge in a few years, possibly as full reboots.
But while there might not be any big screen adventures for a while, there are signs of life for the franchises. Earlier this week, IGN broke the news that Marvel Comics have been given the Alien and Predator rights, paving the way for a new line of comics set in the cinematic universe. Right now, there’s no word on what these comics will be, but to mark the occasion, they commissioned a pair of images by Batman artist David Finch showcasing the two creatures.
The Xenomorph image is a fairly standard though extremely well-done rendering of the original monster from 1979’s Alien, which can be distinguished from the Aliens version by its smooth head. The Predator one, meanwhile, is a bit of a bigger tease, showing the hunter standing on top of Avengers Tower holding Iron Man’s head (or at least, the head of his armor).
Could this be a hint that both creatures are set to enter the Marvel Universe? Marvel are stressing that these are merely promotional images and aren’t teasing a future arc, but if so, it wouldn’t be the first time they’ve tangled with superheroes.
In the 1990s, Dark Horse and DC partnered for a number of cool crossovers, including three Batman Versus Predator stories, Superman vs. Predator, Superman/Aliens, Batman/Aliens and the somehow inevitable Superman and Batman versus Aliens and Predator. None of them were high art, but I always thought they were pretty fun comics.
The prospect of a full Marvel Universe crossover could be really neat, too. For example, I’d love to see Venom and the symbiotes tangling with the Alien. Let’s hope for more details soon.