Worst2First: My Top Ten Film Universes

Worst2First:
My Top Ten Film Universes

It may be all the rage nowadays, but cinematic universes have existed since the black-and-white era.  A cinematic universe consists of several different films featuring different characters who cross over to other films (so it could be a sequel/prequel, but with two different lead characters), and spin-offs of a certain character in a film.

Here are my personal top ten film universes, worst2first...

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

#10

The Alien/Predator Universe

When the two titular alien villains finally clashed in the first "Alien vs. Predator," they became a shared universe.  People in space not only needed to fear the acid-spewing Aliens, but also the stealthy Predators who hunt with extreme camouflage and unrelenting terror as well.

#9

The Friday the 13th/Nightmare on Elm Street Universe

Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger finally clashed in "Freddy vs. Jason," but their shared universe came years before at the end of "Jason Goes to Hell," when you see Freddy's fingered glove reach out of the dirt to pull Jason's hockey mask under.  Kids can't go camping anymore, and neither can they sleep in peace.

#8

The View Askewniverse

Named after the production company that belongs to Kevin Smith, the View Askewniverse consists of Smith's two favorite characters - Jay and Silent Bob - who appear or are referenced in several of Smith's films including "Clerks," "Mallrats," "Chasing Amy," Dogma," "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," and are even included in the "Scream" franchise.

#7

The Conjure-Verse

Famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren's true-life tales have been brought to the big screen in two blockbuster hits "The Conjuring" and "The Conjuring 2," and included two spin-off tales of one of their most terrifying cases, the haunting of the evil doll Annabelle.  There's also films coming out centering on two other creepy ghouls the Warrens faced - the Nun and the Crooked Man - that will undoubtedly strike fear in the hearts of moviegoers.

#6

The DC Extended Universe

Trying to catch up to another famed comic book film universe, DC attempted to re-create the same magic, but has produced more duds than hits (with the exception of the amazing "Wonder Woman").  Featuring some of DC's biggest superheros - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg - the comic book franchise has set their sights on the big screen, and with several titles down the pike, hopefully they'll find their mojo and really get into the game.

#5

The Toho-Verse

One of the longest-running cinematic universes, the Toho-Verse centers around Godzilla and his plethora of kaiju monsters he faces.  More famous in Japan than America, these films focused on Asia's biggest anti-hero as he does battle with the likes of Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah and Mechagodzilla.

#4

The X-Men Universe

The X-Men Universe has the most convoluted timeline imaginable, but somehow they've managed to piece together a somewhat coherent narrative.  There were three original "X-Men" films, followed by three Wolverine-centric films, a trilogy reboot, and a Deadpool spinoff, and they all are interconnected, especially in "Days of Future Past" where they bring together the older actors (Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart) with actors from the reboot (Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy) as they work together to save mutant-kind from a dystopian future.

#3

The Pixar Universe

While it's not as plainly drawn out as other universes, conspiracy theorists and film buffs have pieced together several Easter Eggs from films like "Toy Story," "Monsters, Inc.," "Ratatouille," "Inside Out," "Brave," "A Bug's Life" and more to establish that these seemingly non-connected films are in fact a part of a bigger Pixar universe.

#2

The Universal Classic Monster-Verse

Although they tried to re-create their magic (Tom Cruise's "The Mummy" pretty much was the nail on the coffin of this wannabe Dark Universe), the classic Universal Monster-Verse was the first franchise that featured several characters in inter-connecting films.  Keeping the film industry alive during the Great Depression, the Universal monsters including Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Wolf Man, the Invisible Man and the Creature from the Black Lagoon all lived in the same universe and kept fans attending the cinema to see their favorite anti-heroes in different movies.

#1

The Marvel Cinematic Universe

One of the most successful film franchises in history, the Marvel Cinematic Universe brought attention to the concept of film universes in a way that has never been done before.  Designed with a purpose to include characters in different films, the company has so far produced eighteen films where characters such as Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the Hulk have had their own solo films but also participated in films together, all leading to the cumulative "Infinity War," containing an astonishing twenty-two heroes from eighteen different films and ten years of anticipation.  Other companies have done cinematic universes before, but none on the level as the Marvel Cinematic Universe.