The Ultimate Guide to the Cinematic Universes of Superheroes

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Lifehacker explains why the X-Men don't meet the Avengers, Venom doesn't meet Spider-Man, and Movie Flash doesn't meet the Flash from the series.

Over the past decade, comic-based films have invariably been the most popular at the box office. And in the overwhelming majority these are comics of the Marvel and DC studios. Films are now filmed not separately from each other, but are combined into cinematic universes - worlds where characters from different films coexist, sometimes meeting each other.

On the pages of the comics, everything is simple: Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, X-Men, Spider-Man, Venom and others inhabit the Marvel world, and Superman, Batman, Flash, Arrow, Wonder Woman and their companions - in the DC world. But on film and television screens, the situation is more confusing. Marvel once sold the rights to some of its characters to 20th Century Fox and Sony, and DC, although it releases all projects together with Warner Bros., does not combine films and series into one world.

This analysis will help to stop getting confused in the MCU.

Cinematic universe

To date, the most global and detailed cinematic universe. All films and series are released under the direction of the head of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, so their plots do not contradict each other, and the heroes regularly look into parallel projects or meet in crossovers. A few years ago, Marvel regained the rights to Spider-Man, and he merged into the cinematic universe.

But, unfortunately, overlaps still happen. For example, under a contract with Universal, the studio cannot make solo films about the Hulk, and he only appears in joint projects. And Pietro Maximoff was killed in Age of Ultron due to the fact that his counterpart appeared in the X-Men.

What's included in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

• 20 major films united by Infinity War.
• The series "Agents of SHIELD".
• The series "Agent Carter".
• All Netflix series about The Defenders and The Punisher.
• The series "Supermen".
• The series "The Runaways".
• The series "Cloak and Dagger".

What is expected

• Captain Marvel.
• "Avengers 4".
• Spider-Man: Far From Home.
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - Suspended due to the firing of James Gunn.
• Solo film about the Black Widow.
• The series "New Warriors" - was supposed to start in 2017, but has not yet been released.

X-Men Universe

"X-Men" started much earlier than the films of the MCU. However, after three successful films, the company took a rather strange path. Some of the actors change, and the history is sometimes rewritten. For example, the events of the painting “Beginning. Wolverine "contradicts all other films, and Ryan Reynolds played two different versions of Deadpool. However, all this is presented as an integral universe, and the contradictions in the plot are probably explained by time travels that change the course of history.

The purchase of 20th Century Fox by Disney, which includes Marvel, is likely to merge the two universes. But this will not happen until 2020.

What's included in the X-Men cinematic universe

• The first trilogy "X-Men" (2000-2006).
• Solo trilogy about Wolverine: “X-Men. Start. Wolverine "," Wolverine: immortal "," Logan ".
• Partially Restarted Universe: X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse.
• Two films about Deadpool.
• The series "Legion".
• The series "Gifted".

What is expected

• X-Men: Dark Phoenix.
• "New mutants".
• Gambit has been in production for several years now. Channing Tatum should play the main role.
• X-Force is a continuation of the story of Deadpool, Cable and Domino.

Spider world

This is not the first time Sony has tried to create its own superhero world. From the very beginning, the story was built around Spider-Man. At the beginning of the 2000s, Sam Raimi's trilogy came out, then two parts of "The New Spider-Man", but then the matter did not develop, and they are not included in any cinematic universe.

Now the film "Venom" should launch a new "Spiderverse". Ironically, Spider-Man himself is not included in it. The thing is that after the failure of "The Amazing Spider-Man", the company returned the main character of Marvel, and he joined their cinematic universe. Then the studio decided to develop the world of minor characters. So far, there is only "Venom" with Tom Hardy, but the company has serious plans for other heroes. Although Sony representatives sometimes hint that Spider-Man may appear in their MCU.

What should enter the "Spider World"

• Venom.
• "Morbius" is a film about a doctor who, in search of a cure for a blood disease, turned into a vampire. Jared Leto will play the main role.
• Films about the Black Cat and the Silver Sable. Initially, a common project "Silver and Black" was conceived, but later it was divided into two films.
• "Craven" is a movie about a villain who hunted Spider-Man in the comics.
• Silk is the story of the female version of Spider-Man.

DC cinematic universe

Heroes such as Batman and Superman were the most featured on the big screens. However, DC has only recently begun to build a common history. Superman Returns and Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy with Christian Bale are not part of the cinematic universe. They began to create a holistic world with the "Man of Steel".

After the release of five films, the studio began to change direction, and, perhaps, the cinematic universe will soon disintegrate. For example, it is already known for sure that "Joker" with Joaquin Phoenix will not be associated with the rest of the stories. It is also rumored that Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill will not return to their roles.

What's included in the DC Universe

• "Man of Steel".
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
• Suicide Squad.
• "Wonder Woman".
• Justice League.

What exactly is expected

• Aquaman.
• Shazam.
• Wonder Woman 1984.

What's in development

• Birds of Prey is the story of Harley Quinn and several other female characters.
• "Flash" - the film has changed directors and screenwriters several times.
• "Batman" - it is unknown if Ben Affleck will return to his role.
• A film about the Joker and Harley Quinn.
• "Suicide Squad 2".
• "Black Hawk Down" - produced by Steven Spielberg.
• "New Gods".
• "Black Adam" - starring Dwayne Johnson.
• Batgirl.
• Deathstroke.
• Nightwing.
• "Cyborg".
• Green Lantern Corps.

DC Arrows TV Universe

If the Marvel Cinematic Universe combines feature films and TV series, then DC has these worlds running parallel to each other. The CW channel is creating its own television universe, starting with the TV series "Arrow". Then Flash and Legends of Tomorrow were added to it. In addition, the CW buys up TV shows from other channels. This is how Supergirl and Constantine were added to the Arrow universe.

The lack of communication with the MCU often hinders the authors of the series. Now at the same time there are two Supermen (from the films and from the TV series "Supergirl") and two Flash, and the rights to the CW Batman have not been able to get, so Batwoman will soon present. In addition, when filmmakers need a minor character, the creators of the series can be forced to take him out of the plot. Because of this, "Arrow" lost the entire "Suicide Squad" before the release of the film of the same name, and for the release of "Justice League" they were forced to remove Deathstroke.

Every year, all the main characters of the series meet in a special crossover, where they confront some kind of global threat, and also introduce new heroes.

What is included in the Arrow universe

• "Arrow".
• Flash.
• Vixen (Fox) is an animated series about a heroine who appeared in Arrow.
• "Supergirl" - the series first aired on another channel, but then moved to the CW.
• Legends of Tomorrow.
• "Constantine" was originally a separate series, but was canceled after the first season. Then the character began to appear in "Arrow" and "Legends of Tomorrow", and later received his own animated series.
• "Freedom Fighters: Ray" - an animated series about the heroes of the crossover "Crisis on Earth X".
• "Black Lightning" - formally this series is not connected with the universe of "Arrows", but the authors are increasingly talking about a possible meeting of heroes.

What is expected

• A series about Batwoman - the heroine will appear in the Elseworlds crossover for the first time, and then, probably, will receive her own series.
• The game series about Constantine - John Constantine has become a regular participant in Legends of Tomorrow, but it is likely that he will be returned to the screens in his own project.

Outside the DC universes

DC also has several TV shows that are not related to the film or television universe.

• Gotham is an alternate story of Batman's childhood and adolescence.
• Powerless is a series about the life of office workers in a world inhabited by superheroes.
• "Krypton" is the story of Superman's grandfather on the planet Krypton.
• "Titans" is a series about one of Batman's teammates named Nightwing and his team.

What is expected

• Doom Patrol is a series about a team of underdog superheroes that must be linked to the Titans. It will feature an alternate version of Cyborg from Justice League.
• Stargirl is about an energetic and upbeat high school student, Courtney Whitmore, who creates a team of young superheroes. A similar character appeared in Legends of Tomorrow.
• "Swamp Thing" is a series about a scientist who disappeared in the swamps, but returned in the form of a creepy protector of nature.
• "Pennyworth" is a series about the youth of Alfred, Batman's butler. He will not be associated with either Gotham or the MCU.