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Cinematic universes: A chronology
1930s–1940s
Cinematic universes aren’t really a new thing. One of the first was Universal’s monster movies in the 1930s and 1940s like Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), and The Mummy (1932).
These films started crossing over, with characters from different movies appearing together, like in Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943). It was a way to keep audiences excited and of course to make sure they saw all the films!
1960s: Godzilla
In Japan, Toho Studios started to build a universe around Godzilla, starting with Godzilla (1954).
Over the years, Godzilla faced off against other giant monsters like Mothra and King Ghidorah, creating an interconnected series of kaiju films.
1980s: Star Wars
Although Star Wars wasn’t really a cinematic universe, yet, expanding its ‘world’ after the release of the original trilogy led to a range of novels, comics, and TV shows that explored the broader universe and paved the way for future expansions.
1990s: View Askewniverse
Kevin Smith created an interconnected universe with his View Askewniverse films.
Starting with Clerks (1994), characters and settings from his movies like Mallrats (1995) and Chasing Amy (1997) overlapped, creating something that, with hindsight, was a precursor to the more mainstream cinematic universes we have today.
2000s: Superhero universes
The 2000s were the start of modern superhero cinematic universes.
The success of X-Men (2000) and Spider Man (2002) showed the potential for interconnected superhero films, though they didn’t really get into their stride for a while.
2008: The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
The Marvel Cinematic Universe was a bit of a game-changer. Starting with Iron Man in 2008, Marvel set out to create a series of interconnected films that finished in the team-up movie The Avengers (2012).
This involved a lot of planning and execution and it would set the standard for modern cinematic universes, with characters crossing over and storylines intertwining across multiple films.
2010s: Expansion and experimentation
With the success of the MCU, other studios jumped on the bandwagon and Warner Bros. launched the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) with Man of Steel (2013).
It’s worth noting here as well that the Conjuring universe and MonsterVerse (starting with Godzilla in 2014) demonstrated that the universes go beyond just superheroes.
2020s: Streaming
Streaming services have further expanded the possibilities for cinematic universes.
Nowadays there are interconnected series that tie into larger film franchises, like WandaVision (2021) and The Mandalorian (2019), though again, this isn’t a new thing (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D for example, did this in 2013), it’s just more prevalent with so many streaming options available.
What is a shared cinematic universe?
So we have a rough timeline, but what exactly is a shared cinematic universe? It’s a collection of films (and often, now, TV shows) that share the same fictional world. Characters, events, and settings overlap, creating an interconnected narrative. The idea is to tell bigger and more complex stories than a single film could on its own.
In a shared cinematic universe, a character introduced in one film can show up in another, and storylines can intersect in different ways. As an example, Tony Stark (Iron Man) appears in multiple MCU movies. It’s a bit like a big puzzle, where each piece adds to the bigger picture.
Franchise or universe?
They can seem similar, but a franchise is a series of related films or media linked by things like characters or themes, focused on maintaining brand consistency and often including sequels, prequels, and spin-offs that expand on the original story.
A universe is a broader, interconnected setting where multiple films (or other media formats) create a linked narrative world, with diverse characters, plots, and themes that connect across various instalments. They’re more expansive and integrated than a franchise.
Exploring cinematic universes
Let’s have a closer look at some of the most notable cinematic universes, the characters and films they involve, and how they’re interlinked.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
The MCU is probably the most successful cinematic universe. It started with Iron Man in 2008, and the success of this paved the way for other stand-alone films like Thor (2011), and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), which introduced Steve Rogers, a super-soldier from the Second World War. These films hinted at a much wider narrative, leading up to The Avengers (2012), where all the heroes from the previously mentioned films, team up to save the world.
From here it continued to expand, and characters from the films regularly crossed paths, like when Thor meets the Guardians of the Galaxy in Avengers: Infinity War, and Spider Man, who makes an appearance in Captain America: Civil War (2016), then going on to play a crucial role in Avengers: Endgame (2019). Keeping up?
Marvel succeeded with its world building because everything was planned over a large period of time, so they had the chance to build up characters and stories and have us invest in them emotionally (we’re looking at you, Iron Man *sniff*).
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU)
The DCEU has been less successful than the MCU but it’s still got some of the most popular characters, like Superman and Batman. This of course, led to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), where the two face off, later putting their differences aside to team up against a common enemy… d’aww.
Wonder Woman was introduced in that film too, leading to her stand-alone film, Wonder Woman (2017). Other characters like Aquaman and The Flash were introduced in Justice League (2017), where they join forces to battle the villain Steppenwolf.
As the MCU went into space with the Guardians of the Galaxy, the DCEU expanded, but in another direction… underwater, with Aquaman (2018), which dives (he he) into the kingdom of Atlantis.
The Conjuring
The Conjuring (2013) introduced audiences to Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators who are based on real people. It was a hit, and a spin off, Annabelle (2014), followed, focusing on the haunted doll from the first film. The Conjuring 2 (2016) introduced the demonic nun, Valak who then got her own ‘origin’ film, The Nun in 2018.
This horror universe kept growing with Annabelle: Creation (2017) a prequel to the first film about the doll, and The Curse of La Llorona (2019), which was only loosely connected. In the Conjuring universe, it’s the cases that tie the various narratives together, rather than the main characters. This also means that you can watch films on their own without needing context of the others… something that can be trickier to do with Marvel and DC.
The MonsterVerse
The MonsterVerse is owned by Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures and brings together iconic giant monsters like Godzilla and King Kong.
It started with a new take on Godzilla in 2014, followed by Kong: Skull Island (2017). Eventually, Godzilla and King Kong would face off in, you guessed it, Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). This film also hinted at an even bigger universe of monsters.
The Star Wars universe
The Star Wars franchise, created by George Lucas, is one of the most expansive and well-loved cinematic universes and it quickly grew beyond the initial films: Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983).
There was the prequel trilogy – which really divides the fans – and then a bunch of stand-alone films like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) that complement the main saga. There have also been additions like the animated series The Clone Wars (2008-2020) and Star Wars Rebels (2014-2018), as well live-action series like The Mandalorian (2019), Andor (2022) and The Acolyte (2024).
The Tarantino universe
Quentin Tarantino has a unique cinematic universe where lots of his films are subtly linked. A lot of people don’t realise, as it’s not like Marvel or DC, but there are quite a few things that tie his films together.
In Pulp Fiction (1994) and Reservoir Dogs (1992), characters share surnames which suggests a family connection. For example Vincent Vega (John Travolta) from Pulp Fiction is the brother of Vic Vega (Michael Madsen) from Reservoir Dogs. He also has recurring brands, like Red Apple cigarettes and Big Kahuna Burger, a restaurant chain, that appear across several Tarantino films. Nice little nods to a wider universe so that those who know can feel a bit special and warm inside, but those who don’t won’t miss out on any key context.
Sometimes cinematic universes don’t work out…
All the universes we’ve mentioned so far have been successful in one way or another. Sometimes though, they don’t work out at all.
Universal tried to reboot The Mummy again in 2017 but it did poorly at the box office and so plans for a Dark Universe were put on hold, and planned movies like Bride of Frankenstein, were cancelled. They abandoned the universe idea and opted for standalones again, releasing another version of The Invisible Man in 2020.
There was an attempt at a Ghostbusters universe with the all-women 2016 Ghostbusters by Paul Feig, with spin-offs and tie-ins, but the film didn’t do well with the fanbase and the plans were tanked. However, it did make Sony rethink, and they shifted focus to Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) instead, a direct connection to the original 1984 film, which continued the original storyline.
Ups and downs
Cinematic universes can be fun and rewarding, but they can also have their downsides.
Audience fatigue
The biggest downside of a cinematic universe is oversaturation and audience fatigue. When you have SO many interconnected stories (we’re looking at you Marvel and Disney) then it becomes a huge investment just to make sure you’ve seen everything, and in the right order! It also starts to feel like there are fewer new stories being made at the expense of continuing these universes, or remakes and reboots, and people are starting to become very fatigued with it all.
Maintaining quality
With multiple films in development at the same time, quite often at least some of those just fall flat and don’t meet the standard that fans expect of them. Each film that isn’t pulling its weight has a negative impact on the universe and makes it less likely for people to buy in to the whole franchise.
Continuity
Continuity is a huge challenge, for a cinematic universe to thrive, it needs to reward loyal fans who follow every instalment, while also being accessible to newcomers. This means each film has to stand on its own but also still make a significant contribution to the larger narrative.
Conclusion
Cinematic universes can be a fun and exciting way to tell stories, and if done right, they’re a great way to build a loyal fan base. They do come with a lot of challenges though, from making sure the quality’s high, to keeping their most loyal fans happy and avoiding fatigue.
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About this page
This page was written by Marie Gardiner. Marie is a writer, author, and photographer. It was edited by Ian Yates.