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5 Shared Universes That Are Reshaping Things (And 6 Most Successful)

The cinematic universe is a thing that has been working in Hollywood for the last few years. It has been a way to earn more business at the box office and also get some good reviews. A cinematic universe comprises sequels, spin-offs, and other material like comics, games, and books in a similar way of storytelling. Most of these cinematic universes have been highly successful. But there also have been a few others where the first film worked well, the sequels did not and eventually, the franchise had to be canceled. Now let’s see the Shared Universes that are reshaping things and the ones that have been successful.

Shared Universes That Are Reshaping Things

1. Middle-Earth

The Lord of the Rings trilogy was highly successful at the box office. But the Hobbit films completely changed the franchise’s path. Recently, the Middle-Earth video games were also released and now it is not clear what is canon and what is not. Now things are starting to get more complicated. In the next few months, an animated movie and a live-action TV show will be brought to the franchise. It looks like the studio is attempting to work out the best approach and ensure the best storytelling in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien. A lot of work is yet to be done.

2. The Dark Universe

Universal Studios tried something new in the horror genre by bringing The Mummy to the big screen. The film led to two more sequels. The first one was a huge success and the next one did not gross much as expected. Eventually, the franchise was rebooted after a long time in 2017 with Tom Cruise in the lead role and was considered as the beginning of the Dark Universe. The Mummy was released with high expectations but turned out to be a box office disappointment. The film also received negative reviews from critics and the audience. A planned sequel was canceled and now the franchise is focusing on smaller horror projects.

3. The Wizarding World

Shared Universes That Are Reshaping Things

The Wizarding World brought those things on screen that we could imagine only in our dreams. The films are based on books written by J.K. Rowling. The franchise started with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 2001. The journey of Harry Potter ended in 2011 with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Everything was going fine till here. But after the spin-off Fantastic Beasts made its debut, the franchise lost its way. The first film was too good. But the sequel, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald received a mixed reception and also was the lowest-grossing film in the franchise. Now the franchise might find some new way with the third installment of the Fantastic Beasts franchise.

4. Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones is a franchise that earned a huge fan base since its debut in 2011. The characters have gained their separate fan bases. The fantasy world of Game of Thrones also brought some weird concepts on screen that were subjects of controversy and discussion. But still, the series was a huge success among the audience as well as critics. The series was an adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin. Things were going fine till Season 7. But the final season, Season 8, was criticized for its reduced length and the way a few characters meet their end. The franchise is now focusing on spin-offs that could bring it back on track.

5. DCEU

Shared Universes That Are Reshaping Things

The DC franchise was already struggling a lot to impress the audience. But after Zack Snyder made his entry into the DCEU, the level of the franchise started to fall. Man of Steel was a box office success but was criticized for its overly dark tone and relying more on visual effects. Still, Warner Bros. gave Snyder a chance to direct Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. This one also underperformed. Then Justice League was another flop. Standalone films like Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash have brought some hope to the franchise. But the franchise has to improve itself in a lot of places to gain back the trust of the audience.

Successful Shared Universes

1. MonsterVerse

MonsterVerse is a franchise that has introduced some huge titans to us. This includes Godzilla and King Kong. The franchise started in 2014 with Godzilla that managed to do some excellent box office business. The franchise has been a completely new take on the Kaiju monsters. The sequel Godzilla: King of the Monsters was a box office disappointment. The next two films, Kong: Skull Island and the recent Godzilla Vs. Kong was a huge box office success. A lot of other monsters are yet to be introduced in this franchise.

2. Fast & Furious

The films of the Fast & Furious franchise have delivered some excellent action sequences. A few of them might look unrealistic but all that matters, at last, is entertainment. The lead characters of the series have also become fan favorites. Dominic Toretto’s bold voice and fearless attitude are something that is loved by the audience. Apart from that, the habit of Luke Hobbs abusing his enemies and criminals is also being loved by everyone. The franchise has also spawned its spin-off, Hobbs & Shaw.

3. Marvel Cinematic Universe

Currently, the records set by Marvel Cinematic Universe and its films are hard to be broken. 2019’s Avengers: Endgame broke all the records at the box office. Now even the other filmmakers are busy finding out techniques on how to surpass the collections of Endgame. Marvel Cinematic Universe has been appreciated for its faithful take on superheroes and villains according to the comics. It has also been loved for its outstanding visual effects and brilliant storytelling. Even the death of Iron Man was a scene that left the audience in tears along with the scene in Avengers: Infinity War where Spider-Man dies in the arms of Iron Man. The franchise has a lot of projects lined up for the next few years. All we need to do is waiting for the theaters to open in full occupancy.

4. Arrowverse

Media franchise and shared universe Arrowverse is revolved around different interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters. The franchise has been successful and all the series have also received a positive response from critics as well as the audience. The franchise was also expanded in 2016 with Legends of Tomorrow. An animated web series Freedom Fighters: The Ray was released in 2017. Along with live-action and web-based series, the franchise has also spawned three promotional tie-in live-action web series.

5. Star Wars

Star Wars is a franchise where none of the films have flopped and have done excellent business at the box office. Apart from that, the best part here is that they have also received positive responses from critics and the audience. The franchise started in 1977 and has continued till today with many spin-offs and prequels. All nine films of the ‘Skywalker Saga’ were also nominated for Academy Awards where the first two releases also won. It is currently the second-highest-grossing film franchise of all time.

6. The Conjuring Universe

All 3 Conjuring movies have been successes at the Box Office. The 3 Annabelle movies were also pretty profitable. But the biggest success of this universe has been The Nun. Now, we’re waiting to see a sequel to The Nun, The Crooked Man, and perhaps a 4th Conjuring movie.

So these are all the Shared Universes that are reshaping things. and the successful ones. Which of them do you love the most? Let us know in the comments.

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Anupal Sraban Neog

Born and grew up in Guwahati, Assam. Wish to see a discrimination free India at some point. Love to travel and explore new places. Binge watching web series is my favorite time pass activity. A Cinephilia and an ardent follower of Marvel and DC.
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