Disney’s New Sci-Fi Reboot With Hunter/Sidekick Duo Could Beat ‘Mando and Grogu’ at the Box Office
When The Mandalorian premiered in 2019, Disney struck gold. Grogu became an overnight phenomenon, spawning a mountain of merchandise and helping revive interest in Star Wars at a time when the sequel trilogy had left fans divided.
But six years later, the glow has started to fade.
With The Mandalorian & Grogu set to arrive in theaters in May 2026, the question is no longer how to keep the galaxy far, far away alive — it’s whether audiences still care.
Related: Cast Returning for New ‘Star Wars’ After ‘The Mandalorian’ Reportedly Scrapped | Disney Dining
Enter Predator: Badlands. The latest chapter in the once R-rated franchise sees the towering alien hunter Dek joined by a small, wide-eyed companion named Bud. Cute, expressive, and mischievous, Bud feels engineered for the same crowd that embraced Grogu. But where Star Wars leans on nostalgia, Badlands aims to reinvent. The film swaps horror for heart, turning its mythic killer into a reluctant hero on a perilous desert world.
The connection between the two properties isn’t subtle. Director Dan Trachtenberg openly credits Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back as an influence, particularly in scenes where Dek hauls his damaged android ally Thia (Elle Fanning) across the dunes — a clear visual echo of Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) carrying C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) in the 1980 film.
If Badlands ends up being a box-office hit, it could present Disney with an unusual situation. The company’s most recognizable sci-fi brand, Star Wars, may find itself overshadowed by one of its own acquisitions. Predator, once defined by R-rated carnage, is suddenly cleaner, broader, and arguably more exciting.
It’s too soon to declare a new champion, but audiences may already be tipping their hand. For Disney, the next great sci-fi duo might not wear Beskar — they might have mandibles.
Predator: Badlands is in theaters now. Watch the trailer below:
Disney’s official synopsis reads: “Predator: Badlands, which stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, is set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator (Schuster-Koloamatangi), outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.”
Have you seen Predator: Badlands? Do you think Disney is trying its luck in another faraway galaxy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!
