Predator: Badlands Has A Stranger Things Cameo Only Hardcore Fans Noticed

Contains minor spoilers for "Predator: Badlands"

A full recap before going into "Predator: Badlands" would entail watching both the "Predator" and "Alien" franchises. Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) is a Yautja going to a dangerous world to prove himself to his father, and along the way, he gets help from a Weyland-Yutani synthetic named Thia (Elle Fanning). The connection's been clear since the first trailer, and fans may have gone into the movie hoping for more "Alien" references, like a Xenomorph popping up. Alas, a third "Alien vs. Predator" movie isn't happening quite yet, but there is a brief voiceover cameo from ... "Stranger Things" creators Matt and Ross Duffer?

There aren't that many characters in "Predator: Badlands," so when the final credits roll, there are only a few performers to get through. However, you'll notice that the Duffers are credited as the voice of Kwei's (Mike Homik) computer ship. Kwei's the one who sends Dek to Genna to kill the Kalisk so that he can prove himself to their father, sacrificing his life in the process. Matt and Ross Duffer aren't actors, so it's understandable people wouldn't recognize their voices. It also doesn't help that they're speaking Yautja, but it's a neat Easter egg that has a deeper meaning than you might realize.

It might seem odd to cast the Duffer brothers, even in a small voiceover part, when there's no shortage of actual actors who could've done it. But there's a history between "Predator: Badlands" director Dan Trachtenberg and the Duffers since Trachtenberg was originally set to direct an episode of the final season of "Stranger Things." The filmmaker told Dexerto he had agreed to direct the third episode of "Stranger Things" Season 5, which is going to be called "The Turnbow Trap." However, before he could do it, "Predator: Badlands" got greenlit.

Trachtenberg had to move from directing "Predator: Killer of Killers" immediately into "Badlands," so there wasn't enough time for him to squeeze "Stranger Things" in. However, the timing of both projects made this fun cameo from Matt and Ross Duffer possible. "They were doing their mix of 'Stranger Things,' as we were finishing our mix for 'Badlands,'" Trachtenberg explained. "And I just thought, 'Wouldn't it be fun to have you guys cameo in the movie?' And they were, like, super awesome about it."

With Season 5 being the swansong for "Stranger Things," Trachtenberg has missed out on his chance to work on the hit Netflix series. That's a real shame, as it would have been fun to see Trachtenberg playing in the Hawkins sandbox. He clearly knows how to put together some exciting action set pieces that could've worked well for the show. But being the overseer of the "Predator" franchise is a pretty great gig, too. Click here to find out where Trachtenberg's "Predator" films rank in the franchise.