How did Dan Trachtenberg's Prey break the Predator comics and film timeline? Retcon explored

Prey, the latest film in the Predator series, has taken the internet by storm and breathed new life into the dying franchise with its breathtaking cinematography and nail-biting suspense. Many have even claimed that Dan Trachtenberg's take on the classic is one of the best Predator stories, second only to the original 1987 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

However, die-hard fans who are well-versed in the history of Predator, have noticed some irregularities in the timeline. The biggest among them is case of the famous Flint stock pistol which had carvings that read, "Raphael Adolini 1715." Viewers first saw the pistol in Predator 2, starring Danny Glover.

While the previous films, despite being mediocre, built on the mythos of Yautja, they never hampered the timeline of the movies. Prey, on the other hand, went ahead and boldly broke the already established storybeats of the franchise.

However, the fact that they retained the essence of the hunter and hunted is what viewers loved in the film.

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Adolini gun’s origin was retconned in Prey, which makes the Predator comics non-canon

The 1990 release, Predator 2, reached its climactic moment with Mike Harrigan killing the Predator. The fallen Yautja corpse is collected by his brethren Greyback who then throws an old flint stock pistol at Harrigan. This was Greyback’s way of showing respect to Harrigan for killing a warrior.

The carving on that pistol read: Raphael Adolini 1715.

Fans of the Predator franchise were curious to know its origins and had to wait for six years until the release of the Dark Horse Comic Predator: 1718. The comic book showcased Raphael Adolini as a pirate who faced a mutiny from his crew. Even though Yautja Greyback supported the solo pirate, Adolini died in combat and offered the flint stock to Greyback.

Fans were satisfied with this reveal.

However, their world turned yet again when Prey showcased the same gun in its final scene. The story, which took place in 1719 showcases Raphael Adolini as a French Fur Trapper who gifts the pistol to the protagonist Naru. She uses the gun to blow off the mast of the Yautja and ultimately slay the beast.

The new reveal completely retcons the old flint stock reveal and deems Predator: 1718 as being a non-canon.

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Why does the technologically advanced Yautja Warrior in Prey have primitive weapons?

Another thing about Prey that bugged a lot of fans is that the Yautja in Dan Trachtenberg’s movie seems to carry primitive weapons compared to the other warriors. The Predator was showcased wearing a new bone mask instead of a metallic one. The hunter also seems to be missing his classic plasma cannon.

Addressing this, the director explained:

"There was a very tricky balance in needing to make this movie feel like it's 300 years before the original, but also still feeling like it’s very technologically advanced."

However, an exposition scene in the 2004 film Alien vs. Predator, showcased that Yautja had advanced technology even 1000 years before the events of the film.

The discrepancy has led to many theories popping up on the internet. Some claim that the latest movie deemed the events of AVP and other spin-offs as non-canon. Others stated that the predator in Dan Trachtenberg's film was a youngling and advanced weapon would be made available to him after the rites of passage of killing a human.

The most popular theory explains that the Yautja in the latest film belongs to a different tribe as compared to the other Predators. The theory suggests that he might hail from the arid hemisphere of the Predator planet and worship nature, thereby explaining the penchant for bone masks and primitive weapons.

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Prey is available on Hulu, and stars Amber Midthunder as Naru, Dakota Beavers as Taabe, Ray Strachan, Stefany Mathias, and Dane DiLiegro as Predator.