The chameleon-like alien antagonist of the Predator series is one of the great modern movie monsters. With The Predator, the latest film in the long-running sci-fi action franchise set to go into production later this year, director Shane Black has revealed that the monster’s armoured suit may look a little different this time round.

Speaking to ComingSoon, the Iron Man 3 director explained that the changes would service the new story. “It’s not to ‘improve,’ it’s make it fun, make it different, make it organically different”, he said. “So what’s the extension of it that makes sense, that’s exciting? There have been a lot of changes to Stan [Winston]’s design over the years. These different Predator movies have done different things. Ultimately it’s not about design to me, it’s about the story you want to tell.”

However, Black was clear that he hoped people wouldn’t focus too much on changes to the costume. “There are people who are always going to agonize over Iron Man, what color his suit is”, he admitted. “Maybe this weapon does a new thing, but if the story is not good I don’t give a sh*t what color the suit is.

“In The Predator we’re doing a lot of upgrades to what you would consider to be the traditional Predator technology and look, but hopefully the story is what’s going to drag people in, not just the attention to the minutiae.”

While the Predator movies have formed a long-running, lucrative franchise, the films have to date been made on relatively modest budgets. This looks set to change with The Predator, with Black previously explaining that he was convinced to direct it on the promise that he could make an “event” film.

“I think the first one was great, and it was contained, and it was a perfect little gem for what it was,” he told Thrilllist in March. “I think there’s an expansion that needs to take place, and also just a love for that era, that movie, and the mythology of the Predator.”

“I think that they came to me knowing pretty much that… they said, basically, if I wanted to make Predator but treat it like it was Iron Man 3 instead of just another little movie. I said, ‘Let’s really do it right this time.'”

Black himself appeared in the original Predator, the 1987 smash starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by John McTiernan. To date there have been four further films, including the direct sequel Predator 2, two Alien vs. Predator movies, and 2010’s Robert Rodriguez-produced Predators.

The Predator is set to be released on March 2, 2018.