An analysis of how Alan Ritchson's potential return for 'War Machine 2' on Netflix addresses a key historical error made by the 'Predator' franchise after the original film. The piece contrasts Arnold Schwarzenegger's departure from 'Predator 2' with the current opportunity to build a sustainable action franchise around Ritchson, examining his packed 2026 slate and the stakes for Netflix's cinematic ambitions.
Alan Ritchson's unofficial Predator remake War Machine can fix the original sin that stalled that franchise for years. It's safe to say 2026 is the year Alan Ritchson made his bid for movie stardom.
The Reacher star already ended 2025 out with streaming hit Playdate, and at the start of 2026 his sci-fi actioner War Machine became one of Netflix's most popular movies. It was such a hit that Netflix has already greenlit War Machine 2, with director Patrick Hughes returning. Looking ahead to the rest of the year, Ritchson has the action movie Runner on the horizon, in addition to 1970s throwback Motor City.
The big hook of the latter is that the action thriller has almost no dialogue whatsoever. It's also been confirmed Ritchson's action/comedy The Man with the Bag (co-starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as Santa Claus) will arrive, fittingly, in December 2026. Ritchson has ALL that on his plate, and that's not even mentioning that he has Reacher season four and its spinoff, Neagley, arriving towards the end of 2026. All of which leads back to War Machine.
Neither the movie nor its makers tried to hide its Predator influence, with both films seeing a squad of soldiers being chased through a dense jungle by an alien threat, until only the tough leader is left to fight. It's very much a loose riff on Arnold's 1987 classic, but with Ritchson returning for War Machine 2, he can correct a key mistake the Predator franchise made early on.
Alan Ritchson Returning For War Machine 2 Would Correct Predator's Arnold Schwarzenegger's Mistake. There are conflicting reports as to why Arnold passed on 1990's Predator 2. His character, Dutch, was originally supposed to return and work alongside Danny Glover's L.A. cop to take down the titular hunter, but Schwarzenegger jumped out early. Filming conflicts with Terminator 2: Judgment Day have been cited, though reportedly, Arnie just didn't dig the sequel's city setting.
Whatever the case, Arnold's lack of involvement with Predator 2 hurt both the movie and the franchise. At that time, Arnold was arguably the most popular movie star on the planet, and a rematch between him and the Predator would have made the sequel a must-see. Instead, it introduced a group of new characters, and while the sequel is still wildly entertaining, it could have used Arnie's star power.
Without him, Predator 2 scored largely bad reviews and only made about $57 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). The sequel's tepid reception had a knock-on effect, and it took 20 years for another standalone follow-up to arrive in the form of Predators. In the meantime, the franchise crossed over with the Alien saga for two movies that were, again, not well received.
Alan Ritchson and War Machine helmer Patrick Hughes' next collaboration will be a biopic of famed Navy SEAL Mike Thornton. All that's to say that War Machine really needs Alan Ritchson to return. The original organically set up a more action-packed follow-up, but Ritchson's 81 is the emotional hook that made the first entry work.
Ritchson is finally coming into his own as a movie star, too, and could use his own series, so it only makes sense for him to come back. As the Predator saga proved, dropping its biggest star early wasn't the best move. Alan Ritchson's War Machine 2 Return Hasn't Been Confirmed Yet. It should be noted that while War Machine 2 is in development and the director has signed on, Ritchson's involvement isn't a lock yet.
He's attached as producer, and it feels like the odds of him passing on the project are slim - but it could still happen. Subscribe to the newsletter for War Machine insights Join the newsletter for deep dives on Alan Ritchson, War Machine and the franchise choices that shape big-screen careers. Subscribe for in-depth analysis, casting developments, sequel context and broader film-industry perspective.
Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Ritchson is seemingly grabbing every opportunity open to him right now, so if a more attractive offer comes along, he could end up skipping War Machine 2.
Again, that doesn't seem likely, but if Netflix really wants to turn this sci-fi hit into one of their rare movie franchises, they really need to get Ritchson's involvement locked down. Source: Box Office Mojo A group of elite Army Ranger candidates faces the ultimate test during the final 24 hours of a grueling selection process, only to encounter a threat beyond their imaginatio
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