I'm really excited about this trailer and the crossover between Alien and Predator, whether it's in this film or the next one, where Badlands could serve as an introduction. However, there have been several mistakes circulating in articles since yesterday that I’d like to correct.

Although Alien and Predator are both FOX franchises, they have always been standalone. That’s a fact. In 1989, Randy Stradley and Chris Warner created the Aliens versus Predator comics, which were even adapted into video games—just like RoboCop Versus The Terminator. The Terminator and RoboCop films aren't canon, yet I would have loved to see a 90s adaptation. The Predator 2 nod to Alien references the comics, not the films, which has been confirmed through production notes, interviews over the years, and even DVD commentaries. Alien, Predator, and Alien Vs. Predator are three distinct franchises.

Predator has a "metaphysical" dimension in its comics, where it crosses paths with other universes, like Marvel’s—but that doesn’t mean Predator is part of the Marvel canon. Similarly, even if the Badlands trailer shows an alien skeleton from Independence Day, that doesn’t mean these universes are canonically connected. 

If Predator plays with the lore of other franchises, those franchises don’t necessarily integrate Predator into their own canon. Maybe Disney will one day decide to establish a shared canon between Alien and Predator, but that would be inconsistent. For now, each franchise remains independent, and Alien Vs. Predator continues to be a separate series that draws from both universes. The Predator film franchise also has its own standalone movies; some Predator films have no connection to the others. Since the rise of the MCU, every easter egg is seen as a connection. By that logic, everything would be part of the Tommy Westphall Universe, where somehow, everything links together.