Top 25 Shared/Cinematic Universes

Its going to be pretty hard for anyone today to not know what a cinematic or shared universe is. I mean it is pretty obvious what it is and its a pretty darn good concept too if its done right. So in light of the MCU's 10th anniversary, I decided its time to do a top 25 list of the many shared or cinematic universes that are out there. This includes TV, films and video games. The rules are that I have had to watch/played all or most of the content that these universes have, I will need to like the universe in question (obviously) and the content in the universe has to share common elements between one another whether it be characters, settings and plot developments or the like (i.e. Captain America: The Winter Solider making a big impact on Agents of SHIELD). Doesn't matter if it uses the franchise name in all its content, just as long as its impactful across all its content, it counts. So let's get to it:

Oh and there may be spoilers for some of these universes. Unofficial ones will not be counted, but I will allow those which have impactful references, Easter Eggs and/or cameos that say otherwise.

25 - Hanna-Barbera Universe

As many of us know, Hanna-Barbera is home to some of the best cartoons out there such as Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Wacky Races, Yogi Bear and many others. So naturally, the company who made these shows would establish a universe in which they all live in. Its a very good reason why they often have crossovers and share common elements such as slapstick comedy and the occasional audience laughter that sitcoms generally use. And of course, the animation. As far as films are concerned, fully animated ones seem to do better than live action ones (though in all seriousness, no one should really attempt to do a live action film based on a cartoon unless you do it like Who Framed Roger Rabbit). Anyway, its a fun universe and one where camp, cheesiness and comedy is at its highest.

24 - Alien VS Predator

So generally I don't consider crossovers as shared universes as they are just there for a one off period. But while the films are not great, the thought of seeing the Aliens and Predators in one universe actually does kind of make sense. I mean they are both owned by Fox, they are both sci-fi horror franchises and they are both out for blood so it all makes sense. I suppose one thing that would help establish it further as a shared universe is if both film sagas took place in the same universe and then at least we can be sure that its a shared universe. As well as using plot developments and so forth that affect each film as they come. So yeah its not the best shared universe out there, but even with bad films, its not the worst and with bad films, they make up for with a pile of comics and video games.

23 - Breaking Bad/The Walking Dead

So the first thought that comes to everyone's mind when they think of The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad is that neither show have anything in common with each other. Well that may be true, but theorists have pointed out that both shows can be connected to one another. Early in The Walking Dead we come across a bag of the blue meth that Heisenberg and Jesse may or may not have made sometime before the apocalypse. Then there's the relationships that the main characters have with one another that affects their love ones which although different, can be quite similar in a way. But while that's all well and good, there is then the question as to where its two spin-offs Better Call Saul and Fear the Walking Dead come in. But taking into account that they are technically both prequels in that regard, just the idea of a universe where a drug kingpin was making a name for himself before the zombie apocalypse, although different, it is a very interesting concept. But with three of the four shows mentioned still going on, who knows whether they are connected or not. We just have to wait and see.

22 - Trekkerverse

When you have a TV show that always tells you that they are boldly going where no one has gone before, that normally implies that the universe is largely than you think. And this shows when you practically have 7 TV shows, 13 films and an unlimited supply of comics, books and video games. All of those may not be canon, but the fact that Star Trek has that much stuff going for it makes this universe a big one at that. Some of those previously mentioned media can take place almost very close to one another while others are set either in the past, the present or in the case of the recent films, a completely alternate timeline. So not only did they go where no one has boldly gone before, but so did the franchise as a whole and even though it may not be as popular as the galaxy that is far far away and set a long time ago, it has a lot going for it and I look forward to boldly going further in the big universe that it is in the future.

21 - Power Rangers Universe

It can be said that the franchise may be doing every known thing it can to keep itself relevant to our ever changing world, but when you think about it, is Power Rangers doing too much? Well maybe, but the fact that there are over a dozen teams of Power Rangers each with their own set of monsters, zords and the like, makes the universe they all live in, pretty big with chaos happening at every turn. Chaos in the form of monsters big and small, artifacts of all shapes and sizes and all the campiness that it can take. Most fans may have their doubts about the new shows that are coming out as well as the 2017 film, but it is a big universe that is protected by over a dozen Power Rangers as well as their respective zords and allies. But is often infested with many aliens and monsters that they take on.

20 - The Stephen King Universe

Stephen King is everywhere. There's books, several mini series and a few films. They all share some common elements which is the author (obviously), the element of horror and the fact that most of them take place in a town called Maine. But even as I was doing this post, I was quite surprised that all his stories are connected. But is it really that much of a surprise? Probably not. Because some of the best authors and creators out there, tend to have all their stories connected in some way and although Stephen King's novels can feel quite distant from one another at times, the fact that the majority of them are set in Maine means that they are all in the same universe. Nothing more to say on that.

19 - X-Men Universe

We all want them in the MCU. But until that time, we just have to settle with the Fox produced stuff which turns out are all set in the same universe. Of course all the films are set within the X-Men universe despite continuity issues, but the universe also includes Legion, The Gifted and even Deadpool. All plans to bring in the Fantastic Four were axed due to this universe changing at every point. It's a very dark universe that established the whole equal rights scenario used in many films where characters with special abilities are considered "freaks" among the human race (something that happens in our reality as well, but less of an issue and no powers). It also bought superhero films the much needed attention that it needed and was the inspiration behind the later films that both Marvel and DC would make later on (as well as some lesser known comic books companies). But going back to the universe itself, its a very well made universe that despite continuity issues and the occasional bad film or TV show, its great and lots of fun with some serious moments when needed.

18 - Super Smash Bros. Universe

Although technically it can be seen as a mere theory rather than an actual shared universe, the fact that it manages to merge several things together in The Subspace Emissary mode in Brawl says otherwise. You get a portion of Hyrule forest where the Master Sword resides, a jungle where Donkey Kong stores his banana stash, Meta-Knight's Halberd soaring the skies and a castle that bears resemblance to something out of Fire Emblem (though this is more true due to the presence of Marth at the castle). All while a stadium in midair let's people see their favourite fighters in action and further into the heavens there's Pit and Palutena. Among many other things. It could be just a coincidence or Sakurai purposefully made it this way. But regardless of how you see it, any one of Nintendo's franchises can exist in a shared universe. There is a theory going around that connects all these franchises together. But whether or not its true, its an interesting if not slightly bizarre concept to try out.

17 - Millarworld

Even though its currently an established universe in the comics, the idea of a universe where the Kingsmen, Kick-Ass and those Wanted assassins all live in one universe, might be far fetched for some. But the idea alone could be pretty intense. A world where we have secret agents with manners, superheroes without powers and assassins with the ability to curve the way bullets go. All very different things, but if it works in the comics, then why not in the films. I think the bigger question is how to go about it considering that they are separate franchises each being made differently with some having the same studio and director and others not so much. But it would be great to see Eggsy and Kick-Ass team up or fight against. Its possible, but as previously said, pretty far fetched.

16 - Pixarverse

There is a theory that all Disney films are connected in some way. But the problems I have with that is that it's too complicated and apart from the occasional Easter egg or two, they don't feel very connected. Now as for the Pixar films, the theory about the films being connected actually makes more sense. I mean there is always a object that hints to Pixar's next film and further along the pipeline, we see Buzz Lightyear's batteries that just so happen to belong to a particular company responsible for clearing up the trash in Wall-E. And let's not forget that Pizza Planet appears in almost every one of the films (even in Brave which doesn't make much sense I know) and a certain actor by the name of John Ratzenberger has a role in every Pixar film in a sort of Stan Lee like scenario though some of the roles are bigger than just a mere cameo. Whatever you want to theorise about, the point is that whether its official or not, all the Pixar films can exist in one universe if you put the pieces of the puzzle in the right order. And who knows, maybe The Incredibles 2 or Toy Story 4 will make even more references or they find out that the lamp is the creator. So many ideas to use. Let's see if Pixar make it official.

15 - Black Mirror Universe

Before series 4, all the episodes in the anthology series Black Mirror seemed to all take place in different realities. Realities such as one where people will like or hate you based on your ratings, one where you can choose to live in a different decade, one where the Prime Minister goes to great lengths to protect his people even if he has to do the most humiliating thing known to man and there's even one where people will find a cartoon character more popular than actual real candidates in elections. But this all changed with the very last episode of series 4 which is simply called Black Museum. From the name alone, this confirms that everything that happened in Black Mirror up to this point, all existed in the same universe at one point. The museum itself has a lot of references to almost all the other episodes such as the lollipop used in USS Calister to transfer a worker's DNA into the game, the tablet that Marie uses in Arkangel, an ADI from Hated in the Nation and there's even a wall that has all the faces of the crew involved in the making of Black Mirror. Who knows what the next series will hold, but it is a pretty scary thought that all these realities are actually the same reality. Best not to look into it too much, but its still quite the established universe.

14 - DC Animated Universe

It may be my all time favourite TV universe at the time where I did that list. But with the growing popularity of other shared universes, its still and always will be great. There's just some much bigger ones out there nowadays. So this is one of the earliest superhero universes and this is a universe in which many of the DC cartoons from the 90s and early 00s all exist in with Batman Beyond/of the Future being set in the universe's far future and the rest of it being set one after the other. It also includes films like Mask of the Phantasm and Return of the Joker and also was the place that put names like Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, Tim Daly, Susan Eisenberg, Clancy Brown, Corey Burton and many others on the map and many of them still voice their respective characters to this day in other media like the Batman: Arkham games, the Injustice games and some of the DC Animated Original Movies too. It certainly had an impact on the world and without it, DC wouldn't be where it is today as far as its media goes. It even helped bring characters such as Harley Quinn and Terry McGinnis into the mainstream DC comics. We have a lot to thank these shows for and we look forward to more great things from DC in the future.

13 - GTA Universe

As controversial as their games are, Rockstar has arguably made some of the greatest games of all time and helped establish the open world and sandbox genres. But as you come to expect, all their games are in some way connected. Its hard to notice the connections, but there are lots of references and Easter Eggs to find that further prove that the GTA Universe also includes Red Dead, Bully, Manhunt and even L.A. Noire. It could be just a theory or could be true, but the thought of all these controversial games in one universe isn't too much of a surprise for many of us. They are all rated Mature or 18+, they got all known forms of sex, drugs and violence and what makes them great isn't just how well made they are, but the fact that they have a lot of controversy which has unintentionally helped greatly in sales. And who knows, maybe Niko Bellic will go bowling with his ancestor John Marston or Cole Phelps will interrogate the Bullies should this universe exist. All sorts of fun is to be had here.

12 - Assassin's Creed shared universe

Around the time when the original models of the Xbox One and PS4 consoles were coming out, Ubisoft was busy at work on making Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and original IP Watch Dogs. And as it is with big games like them, Ubisoft went on to create several collector editions to give the gamer some variety and choice in merchandise, DLC and others. Then Ubisoft delayed Watch Dogs with the intention of fine tuning it and letting people spend their hard earned cash on the console of their choice. Meanwhile Black Flag still released on time with its collector editions and thus became a launch title for the two consoles. So when Watch Dogs came about, the thing people noticed in one of the side missions, was a character last seen in Black Flag who went missing later on in the game and we get to find out what happens to him in Watch Dogs. With that connection (although again it could just be an Easter Egg on the basis that both games were meant to release at the same time initially), we have a shared universe. In addition to these two games, later Ubisoft games would play along with it by having the Raving Rabbids as a franchise, Far Cry as a combination of both video games and events happening in the universe and the list goes on. As it is with companies as previously mentioned, many of these are Easter Eggs poking fun at everything that the company has made over the years. But hackers and assassins in one universe could be a very interesting concept.

11 - The Simpsons-verse

Another example of one company putting all their shows in one universe. So it all started with a yellow dysfunctional family (The Simpsons) and then along came a family with cutaway gags (Family Guy), a man who is proud of his American heritage (American Dad), a man who left the cutaway gags to find his own family briefly (The Cleveland Show), a future focused on a team of bizarre but lovable characters until it got cancelled (Futurama), a special agent called Archer, a King of the Hill, a family who run a burger restaurant (Bob's Burgers) and a Critic. In other words, all of Fox's animated adult humour shows all exist in one universe. A universe where connections come in many shapes and sizes such as Easter Eggs, references, cameos and even crossovers. Next minute we'll see the families cause all sorts of havoc and only Archer can stop it. Meanwhile Bob is selling burgers to Homer and Peter while Stan and Hank are both bragging about their so called jobs. Very funny concept, but it would be absolute chaos if it were true.

10 - LEGO Cinematic Universe

Since The LEGO Movie back in 2014, LEGO is now bigger than ever. And why not exploit that with some more LEGO films. Last year we got a film where Batman lives in a LEGO world where all the films and cartoons have happened as well as a film with Power Ranger like ninjas kicking some ass. This cinematic universe can run wild with ideas because when it comes to LEGO, your greatest weapon is imagination. I look forward to seeing more films in this wonderful but bizarre universe and maybe we'll get a film where LEGO takes over the real world. We'll just have to wait and see. So until then, build away!!

9 - JK Rowling's Wizarding World

Before Fantastic Beasts came around, this universe was known simply as the Potterverse. But with the addition of Pottermore and the Fantastic Beasts film (with sequels on their way), this universe is now bigger than ever with all sorts of witches, wizards, beasts and of course magic. They all feel wonderful, festive at times and fun above all else. With a bit of serious moments when needed. There's been heartbreaks, fights and a lot of dark moments. But this universe is as fantastic as it gets and I look forward to its future.

8 - MonsterVerse

A universe with giant monsters dominating the Earth. Sure it may sound like something Toho have done for years. But it includes a King Kong that isn't Japanese and intends to include a lot of giant monsters and not just those related to Godzilla. Its what a summer blockbuster should be like. Epic, full of intensity and giant monsters (or kajus if you prefer) just beating the hell out of each other while wreaking havoc at the same time as the fate of humanity rests in their hands. It is glorious and I cannot wait to see the two kings battle it out in a couple of years time.

7 - A Galaxy Far Far Away

Star Wars has a very big universe or galaxy if you prefer. Its full of stories everywhere you go and goes beyond the films by giving us video games, comics, books, graphic novels, TV shows, cartoons and more. Its by far one of the biggest franchises on the planet with a universe that goes above and beyond our imaginations. And its all thanks to one man named George Lucas without whom, the film industry probably wouldn't be where it is today. Yes he may have ruined the prequels and went berserk over perfecting his earlier films. But he was the one who made it what it is today and we have him to thank for that. May the force be with us all.

6 - Arrowverse

So there have been several great universes already mentioned on this list. Some are way to big to explain and others not so much. But now we go back to the TV world with the Arrowverse. A universe in which Arrow, The Flash and DC's Legends of Tomorrow all take place in. In addition, we also get Vixen, Constantine and Supergirl also appearing in this universe though not necessarily on the same Earth. Many of these heroes no one would've really come to know beyond the comics and we have these shows to thank for that. The stories they each tell are great, the annual crossovers they have are fantastic and the variety of heroes and villains that are available just makes it a great DC universe that is among the best they have to offer. I'm also glad they didn't go with the original plan of having Arrow as a spin-off to Smallville as that would've just ruined everything. Sorry Superman fans, but its true.

5 - Universal Monsters

Before Universal decided to reboot the universe poorly, they were the people behind the monsters that would later establish themselves as iconic characters in both the horror genre and Halloween. We all like characters such as Dracula, Wolfman, Frankenstein and so forth. So we got films about them all and later in the pipeline, they would all have crossovers which would later establish the Universal Monsters Universe. They were all great and scary then and they still are now even if Universal are desperate for a cinematic universe of their own.

4 - DC Extended Universe

I know what you are thinking. Surely this universe isn't great enough to fit this list. You are right and you are also right to hate me for putting this above both the Arrowverse and the DC Animated Universe which are admittedly much better made. But where this universe shines is that it's making our dreams come true and although quite sloppy for the most part, we finally get a film that pits the man of steel against the dark knight and several solo superhero films that we have been wanting for years. It still has a long way to go for it to be better than the Arrowverse and the DC Animated Universe. But the fact that its achieved the impossible (which again, I admit is quite a sloppy approach if anything) makes it worthy to be higher. Hate me all you like, but we are getting what we have wanted from DC for years. Just hope it can achieve greatness soon.

3 - Whoniverse

Otherwise known as the Doctor Who universe, this is one universe that not only explores space but also time itself as well. Of course the main show as it always has been in this universe is Doctor Who, but it gets expanded when it puts the likes of Captain Jack Harkness, K-9, Sarah-Jane Smith and the Coal Hill Academy into their own shows. After being abandoned by the Ninth Doctor, Captain Jack Harkness goes to Earth's past where he gets recruited by Torchwood to battle alien threats, many decades later (due to his immortality) becoming its leader in the Cardiff base where Rift activity is occurring. Having been on many adventures with him, Sarah-Jane Smith goes off to have some adventures on her own sometimes with K-9 and other times with other people. Finally we come to the school Coal Hill Academy where the Twelfth Doctor tells a group of students to go and deal with alien threats in their own personal lives. All fun across time and space with some of shows tailored to younger viewers, some for families and others for more mature fans. There is something for everyone in an ever expanding universe full of deadly and not so deadly aliens and monsters with a time travelling Doctor and his companions at the heart of it all.

2 - Middle-Earth

Since the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the world of Middle-Earth has never been more popular than it is today. With plenty of media to fill up the big gap between The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, the world of elves, hobbits, dwarfs and wizards is bigger than ever. We have had six films (each with their own long extended cuts), a number of books by the creator Tolkien that date back to 1937, lots of video games and an entire fanbase of people all dedicated to finding the precious and either destroy it or keep it for themselves. In the real world, New Zealand is now a more popular place to visit than ever before, Peter Jackson has made a name for himself and motion capture CGI has hit mainstream with many filmmakers using it for films like the Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy, the two most recent King Kong films and the recent Star Wars films (funny how George Lucas missed a trick there with the prequel trilogy). I guess we can all go on unexpected journeys ourselves and discover that our world is bigger than we originally thought.

No honourable mentions this time as I found it quite hard to do this list, but my number one choice is probably the one you are all expecting it to be.

1 - Marvel Cinematic Universe

And you are right. Since 2008, we have been given a cinematic universe that brings in all of Marvel's heroes that at the time, were not seen in films nor licensed out to studios like Sony, Fox and Universal (among others). And its thanks to this cinematic universe that everyone now knows the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Defenders among other heroes. And in their quest to get all their characters back (though this may be tricky due to Comcast intending to outbid Disney to get Fox), Marvel have created a universe that feels like our own universe. Just with heroes that look like they were made for the 21st Century and not gone goofy or overboard like some of the earlier Marvel films. As it hits its 10th anniversary, I hope that whatever the future holds for the MCU, we will still get great films and hopefully better shows as Disney takes the helm for the foreseeable future. And let's hope the X-Men, Fantastic Four and Deadpool make an appearance or two at some stage should Disney get Fox.