In this episode of the Heroes Reforged Podcast, we sit down with director Dan Trachtenberg (Prey, 10 Cloverfield Lane) to talk about his bold new vision for the Predator universe in Predator: Badlands. Dan opens up about the expectations of making another Predator movie after Prey and Killer of Killers, and the massive creative leap of making the story’s main protagonist a Yautja—a Predator. We discuss how this shift changes the perspective of the hunt, and what it reveals about the franchise’s deeper mythology.Dan also breaks down key visual effects moments, the themes of masculinity and honor woven into Yautja culture, and the intricate process of maintaining creative consistency across the Alien and Predator timelines. He shares how he collaborated with Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez and Alien: Earth creator Noah Hawley to make sure both universes feel cohesive yet distinct. It’s an in-depth, passionate conversation about storytelling, legacy, and the evolution of cinematic monsters.

CHAPTERS

0:00:00 - Like & Subscribe

0:00:29 - Predator Premiere Experience

0:03:32 - The Pressues of Making a Movie

0:06:02 - Predator Tie-In Media

0:11:29 - "Toyetic" Movies

0:14:39 - The Mythical Third Predator Idea

0:17:16 - Predator in Multiple Theatrical Formats

0:19:04 - VFX and Sound Design

0:20:31 - Possibilities of a Yautje Dub

0:22:04 - Reworking the Movie in Post-Production

0:26:06 - Practical Suit and VFX

0:27:35 - Themes of Masculinity

0:35:45 - Taking Bold New Swings

0:39:00 - Incorporating the Alien Franchise

0:40:22 - Expanding the Fanbase

0:41:46 - The PG-13 Rating

0:45:48 - "What if he throws it?" Collaborative Filmmaking

0:48:53 - Working with Fede Alvarez and Noah Hawley

0:55:22 - What's Next / Did Dan's Parents like the movie?

0:56:55 - What to Expect on the 4K UHD Blu-ray

1:00:25 - Thanks to our Patrons

We make our case for why Robert Pattinson’s The Batman should remain a standalone series and not cross into James Gunn’s DC Universe. Drawing from the comics, we explore what a new DCU Batman could look like and why Reeves’ Gotham doesn’t fit the shared-universe tone.

We also react to the first look at Superman’s suit from James Gunn’s Superman (2025) and dive into Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Timestamps

0:00:00 - Like & Subscribe

0:00:10 - Genndy Tartakovsky Podcast

0:00:45 - Fast & Furious Movie Reactions

0:02:40 - New Reaction Videos

0:06:14 - Batman and the DC Universe

0:08:40 - Matt Reeve's Conflicting Tones

0:11:35 - We Need DCU's Batman

0:13:10 - Luthor/Wayne Dynamics in DC

0:14:30 - The Batman Epic Crime Saga is Self-Contained

0:15:55 - Dealing with DCU Boundaries

0:19:06 - Drama vs Fantasy in Batman's Universe

0:20:15 - Evolution of DC Comics

0:24:18 - Varying Tones in the DC Universe

0:28:20 - Fantasy in the Marvel Universe

0:30:40 - What to Read and Watch in DC

0:32:19 - How to Introduce DCU's Batman

0:33:38 - Will The Batman: Part III Happen?

0:37:30 - Audience Expecations / DC Confusion

0:41:53 - Robert Pattinson Commitment

0:43:24 - Superman's Trunks

0:45:17 - Spider-Man: Brand New Day

0:46:07 - Leave Spider-Man's Wrinkles Alone

0:49:07 - Spider-Man and Stark Tech

0:50:20 - Why Spider-Man's Homemade Suit Matters

0:56:55 - Top Tier Superhero Costumes

0:58:40 - Final Thoughts / Wrap Up

1:00:00 - Thanks to our Patrons

We sit down with legendary animator and director Genndy Tartakovsky to talk all about his brand-new R-rated Netflix animated film, Fixed—from its wild premise to the challenges of creating adult hand-drawn animation in today’s industry. Genndy also opens up about his experience making the groundbreaking Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003), how he nearly ran Lucasfilm Animation, and the creative risks he took with the dialogue-free series Primal. Plus, we dive into the origin and legacy of Samurai Jack, his unique approach to visual storytelling, and what continues to inspire him as a filmmaker pushing the limits of animation.Whether you're a longtime fan or new to his work, this conversation is packed with behind-the-scenes insight, animation wisdom, and career-defining stories from one of the greatest minds in modern animation.0:00:00 - Welcome, Genndy Tartakovsky0:01:18 - Fixed Test Screenings0:05:54 - Challenges of Adult Animation0:09:49 - Fixed Origin Story0:16:29 - Filmmaking Influences0:23:22 - Star Wars: Clone Wars0:31:55 - Advice from George Lucas0:36:23 - The Future of Primal0:41:18 - Evolution of Animation0:46:43 - Challenges of 2D Animation0:49:48 - Hotel Transylvania0:52:15 - Stigma Against Animation0:58:24 - Asajj Ventress Movie0:59:24 - Transitioning to Live-Action1:03:18 - Thanks to our Patrons