4. A Strong Lead Character
Perhaps the most important aspect to the success of the film is the likeability of the human characters. It is essential that we root for the hero and that he/she has to be a central anchor in a larger story that is not all about cool kills and bloodshed. And while there are sure to be stock characters in there for no other reason than to be killed but as Camerons Aliens and John McTiernans Predator thought us, the supporting cast be pretty darn awesome and leave a lasting impression. That has been a major failing of both Alien vs. Predator films released to date; the characters have not been worth investing in and have been downright forgettable. In 2010s Predators, the casting of Adrien Brody as the lead was a surprising choice, but a good idea that worked to a certain extent (his growling not so much) trying to bring the franchise away from big hulking male action heroes of the 80s and towards something more in line with the Bourne approach (again whether it worked in Predators is a matter of opinion). Whether the lead is male or female, they have to be larger than life and it is important that the lead does not fall into a stereotypical action hero or become a rehash of the series most famous leads (Ripley and Dutch obviously come to mind). Getting this aspect right is central to the success of any future AvP films.