Because of fan theories and hints dropped in particular films, there are various movies that persons are satisfied are related to greater franchises. Many of those movies haven’t any obvious connection to the franchises past small Easter eggs that appear to have been added. Nevertheless, others have total theories constructed across the connection.
In some instances, it’s a line of dialogue, a personality’s identify, and even one thing visible that seems on the display screen in both the solo film or one of many franchise efforts. In different instances, franchises like Pixar or Disney appear to attach all the pieces. Both means, these connections, actual or not, stay enjoyable for audiences to dissect.
George Lucas introduced the world the primary Star Wars film in 1976 and by no means seemed again. That franchise has grown to incorporate a number of films, streaming exhibits, and a number of media properties. Nevertheless, there’s additionally one thing within the franchise that connects it to a Steven Spielberg film that hit theaters in 1982.
Spielberg directed the science fiction household film E.T.: The Further-Terrestrial, which tells the story of an alien scientist stranded on Earth and the boy who tries to guard him. Lucas and Spielberg are shut buddies, and so they even collaborated on one other franchise with the Indiana Jones films. It is sensible they’d reference one another.
This occurred first in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace throughout the Galactic Senate of the Republic assembly. The aliens have been all proven and, in a single pod, some aliens seemed similar to E.T.’s alien race, making followers satisfied all of them exist in the identical shared universe.
No one & No one 2 (John Wick)
The concept No one is ready within the John Wick universe has been an ongoing matter of debate for the reason that first No one film hit theaters. With the second film arriving in 2025, extra persons are questioning if the 2 movies are set in the identical shared universe, because of a number of attention-grabbing scenes.
From the beginning, each films are about growing old assassins, with Keanu Reeves at 60 and Bob Odenkirk at 62. Nevertheless, when pushed, they’re nonetheless capable of kill a number of folks without delay. That mentioned, there was nothing within the first No one film that related the worlds, however that did not cease followers from remaining satisfied they have been.
When No one 2 had a combat scene in a corridor of mirrors, one thing the John Wick franchise additionally did, it made it even tougher to miss their similarities. Add within the similarity of the Barber (Colin Salmon) to the members of Wick’s Excessive Desk, and the 2 franchises may simply cross paths.
The Rock (James Bond)
There are numerous explanation why followers stay satisfied that the previous British Intelligence agent Sean Connery portrayed in The Rock was beforehand James Bond. In The Rock, Connery performed John Mason, the one man to flee Alcatraz after he stole microfilm from J. Edgar Hoover with categorized data.
He was stored alive since he by no means revealed the microfilm’s location. In The Rock, he’s supplied his freedom if he’ll assist a chemical weapons specialist break into Alcatraz after some rogue Marines overtake it and threaten a deadly fuel assault on San Francisco if their calls for usually are not met.
What ties this to James Bond is that John Mason is a former MI6 agent whom the British authorities disavowed. Since James Bond is believed to be a canopy identify for MI6 brokers, the idea is that Mason is a former Bond and has been rotting away in jail since he stole the microfilm, whereas a brand new Bond changed him.
Blade Runner (Predator Through Alien)
There appears to be a shared universe for Blade Runner. The shared universe connects Blade Runner to Alien, which implies additionally it is a part of the Predator franchise. It’s straightforward to see some hidden gadgets in Blade Runner from Alien since Ridley Scott directed each movies. After that, Alien crossed over with Predator.
Each Alien and Blade Runner are set in dystopian futures the place companies dominate the world. Each films paint a darkish future for people, and every options Android characters who query the which means of life. Alien connects to Blade Runner as a result of Captain Dallas as soon as labored for Blade Runner’s Tyrell Company.
Later, in Prometheus, Peter Weyland additionally mentions Tyrell in a memo. This implies that each films happen in the identical world. There have been additionally two movies the place Aliens and Predators battled one another, so it means Blade Runner can also be in the identical universe as Predators.
Captain America: The First Avenger (Indiana Jones)
After all, Captain America films exist in one of many greatest shared universes in all of Hollywood. There are 37 Marvel Cinematic Universe films, and for the reason that Fox films and Sony movies have crossed over, the quantity is even greater than that. This implies Captain America has crossed over with virtually extra films than anybody.
Nevertheless, there was additionally a line in Captain America: The First Avenger that hints that the movie additionally crosses over with one other franchise. Within the film, set throughout World Battle II, the Purple Cranium and Arnim Zola focus on the Cosmic Dice and their plans for world domination, separate from Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Celebration.
That’s when the Purple Cranium mentioned they’d watch as Hitler “digs for trinkets within the desert” whereas they do the true work with the Cosmic Dice. This led many followers to attract a connection to Raiders of the Misplaced Ark, the place Hitler’s Nazi minions are within the desert trying to find artifacts, together with the Ark of the Covenant.
Collateral (Transporter)
The connection between Collateral and the Transporter franchise is a bit more obvious, though it was by no means slammed house within the film. Collateral is a Michael Mann film that stars Tom Cruise as an murderer named Vincent who forces a cab driver performed by Jamie Foxx to assist him on a spree the place he takes out varied targets.
Transporter is an motion movie from 2002 starring Jason Statham as a driver who takes on jobs delivering packages, with the settlement that the deal won’t ever be modified, no names might be given, and he won’t ever open the package deal. Nevertheless, in a stunning second, Statham exhibits up in Collateral as what seems to be the identical character.
Within the credit, Statham is named “Airport Man,” and he solely briefly interacts with Cruise’s Vincent at the beginning of the movie. He was by no means known as Frank Martin, though co-director Louis Leterrier mentioned the character was all the time meant to be Frank Martin, and that he would seem in cameos in different films sooner or later.
Psycho (Halloween)
The film credited with popularizing the slasher film style was Halloween in 1978, though that was a few years after Black Christmas. With that mentioned, a decade earlier, one other film pioneered the style with Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Nevertheless, many fans are satisfied that Psycho and Halloween are set in the identical universe.
That is thanks to 2 characters. In Psycho, Janet Leigh performed Marion Crane, a girl who disappeared after occurring the run after stealing from her employer. John Gavin performed her boyfriend, Sam Loomis, who went to the Bates Motel in search of her alongside along with her sister Lila (Vera Miles).
In Halloween, which arrived 18 years later, a personality named Dr. Sam Loomis is a legal psychiatrist and has been treating Michael Myers for years. Followers are satisfied that Sam Loomis from Psycho devoted his life to working with others after his traumatic expertise with Norman Bates, and they’re the identical particular person.
Piranha 3D (Jaws)
The connection between Piranha and the Jaws franchise is all because of the feedback by one actor. Whereas Richard Dreyfuss may need been joking concerning the connection, it gave many followers one thing to latch onto and run with. In Jaws, Dreyfuss performed Matt Hooper, and in Piranha 3D, he performed Matt Boyd.
Dreyfuss mentioned that the 2 characters are the identical particular person. Based on the actor, “I play the older Matt Hooper, who escaped being eaten by the shark and is now eaten by a bunch of piranha fish.”
In Jaws, Dreyfuss performed a marine biologist who went out to assist discover the shark killing folks in a New England resort city. In Piranha 3D, he was the primary particular person killed when he fell into the lake whereas fishing and was eaten by piranhas. There is no such thing as a different connection apart from the primary names, but it surely’s a enjoyable idea.
Friday The thirteenth 2009 (Transformers)
Many followers imagine the 2009 Friday the thirteenth reboot takes place in the identical universe as Transformers. What connects the slasher horror film to the motion franchise is one character. Actor Travis Van Winkle seems within the two movies, portraying a personality named Trent DeMarco in each.
In Transformers, he performs an smug jock named Trent who’s relationship Megan Fox’s Mikaela when the film begins. She finally ends up dumping him for Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), and most followers felt he deserved the dumping. Transferring ahead to Friday the thirteenth, launched two years later, Van Winkle returned as Trent.
Michael Bay, who directed Transformers and produced Friday the thirteenth, mentioned the characters have been the identical particular person. Two years after Megan Fox dumped him, he cheated on his girlfriend, and Jason killed him. This implies Jason Voorhees exists in the identical world because the Transformers.
Higher Luck Tomorrow (Quick & Livid)
Followers fell in love with Han Lue (Sung Kang) in Quick & Livid: Tokyo Drift. Han remains to be a giant a part of the franchise after his teased demise was retconned, and he stays a beloved member of Dom’s workforce within the collection. Nevertheless, he appeared in one other film.
Whereas nobody mentions Higher Luck Tomorrow when discussing the Quick & Livid franchise, it’s a secret prequel. This film got here out in 2002, 4 years earlier than Tokyo Drift, and one 12 months earlier than the primary sequel to the Quick & Livid franchise even hit theaters.
Justin Lin, who took over the Quick & Livid franchise with Tokyo Drift, additionally directed Higher Luck Tomorrow. The film tells the story of 4 bored teenagers who become involved in petty crimes. Sung Kang performs Han Lue within the movie, making it an origin story for the beloved Quick & Livid character.