Shared universes are all the rage these days and have become the norm for major film studios.
Whether it’s Marvel, DC, or Star Wars, interconnectivity is the name of the game in Hollywood.
While these are the most obvious examples of the phenomenon, they may not have been
the first of its kind.
Filmmakers have seemingly been toying with shared universes for years, though being far
subtler with the process than studios are today.
You may never look at one of your favorite films the same way again.
Here are 10 movies you had no idea share the same universe.
Star Wars and Indiana Jones
Star Wars could share a universe with its Lucasfilm brethren, Indiana Jones.
The series includes some minor references to the saga, such as Club Obi-Wan in The Temple
of Doom and hieroglyphics of R2-D2 and C-3PO in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
One fan proposes that the aliens from Kingdom of the Crystal Skull visited Earth long ago
and shared the story of Star Wars by engraving imagery on the walls of structures.
Another theory says that Indiana Jones is just an elaborate dream of Han Solo’s while
he’s frozen in carbonite.
Take whichever you want, but there’s no denying either would be interesting if true.
Out of Sight and Jackie Brown
By now, viewers are familiar with the Quentin Tarantino universe, but did you know it includes
films Tarantino wasn’t involved with at all?
Steven Soderbergh’s sleek crime caper Out of Sight takes place in the same universe
as Tarantino’s Jackie Brown.
Both movies are based on novels by Elmore Leonard and share one specific character that
serves as the glue between them.
Michael Keaton portrays Ray Nicolette in the two projects, confirming a connection.
What makes this even more impressive is that Out of Sight and Jackie Brown were released
by separate studios, so they must have had good humor about it.
Blade Runner and Alien
Ridley Scott redefined the sci-fi genre with these two classics, which both feature android
characters.
That could be more of a coincidence, thanks to an Easter egg found on the Prometheus DVD.
Showing a message from Peter Weyland of the Weyland corporation, it describes a discussion
Weyland had with a mentor or competitor who seems to fit the bill of Blade Runner’s
Dr. Eldon Tyrell.
The note talks about a man with a God complex who watched his creations “blow up in his
face,” which is essentially the fate of Tyrell, who was killed by one of his replicants.
Could we see a xenomorph in Blade Runner 2?
Only time will tell.
Star Trek and Sherlock Holmes
Spock and Sherlock Holmes are two of the most logically thinking characters in all of pop
culture, so it would only make sense if the two were related.
One theory suggests that Spock is a descendant of the renowned detective.
In Star Trek 6, Spock mentions that an ancestor of his said that when you eliminate the impossible,
whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
That quote is typically attributed to Mr. Holmes, implying a familial connection between
the Vulcan and the Englishman.
Spock is half-human, after all, so this one adds up.
The Rock and James Bond
Michael Bay loves action, and he may have found a way to include one of the most famous
action heroes in his film The Rock.
Many believe that Sean Connery’s character John Mason is an aged 007.
Mason is described as a highly-trained British operative who has no identity and for all
purposes, does not exist, which certainly sounds like an MI6 agent.
Connery even does a parody of his Diamonds are Forever one-liner when he first meets
Nic Cage’s Stanley Goodspeed, so the two characters have the same sense of humor.
It seems too good to be true, but those who enjoyed Connery’s run as Bond got one more
film.
Spy Kids and Machete
These two films seemingly don’t have much in common, but there are some strong connections
between them.
Namely, Danny Trejo plays the same character in both movies.
In Spy Kids, he’s the uncle of the young protagonists and brother of Antonio Banderas’
character.
Robert Rodriguez, who directed Spy Kids and Machete, felt that Trejo should be a Mexican
Jean-Claude Van Damme and be in a movie of his every year.
The first opportunity that arose was Spy Kids, and the rest was history.
Here’s a shared universe with something for children and adults, proving that you
can blend extremely varying tones between installments.
Daredevil and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
All of these protectors of New York were created by the same accident.
After Matt Murdock was blinded by acid from a truck, the future heroes in a half shell
living under a sewer were the next to receive super powers.
Acid leftover from the crash leaked into the sewer, giving birth to the Ninja Turtles.
Since the properties are owned by different studios, it doesn’t seem likely they’ll
ever crossover on the big screen, so this small connection is all fans will have to
work with for now.
Though, it would be a lot of fun to see Tony Stark trading quips with Michelangelo.
The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet
These two masked heroes have a lot more in common than fighting injustice.
They’re actually relatives.
Though the films can’t make any mention of this fact now due to rights restrictions,
the Green Hornet is actually the great-nephew of the Lone Ranger.
When the radio programs were popular, they both shared a character: Dan Reid.
Dan was the Lone Ranger’s nephew and would go on to become Britt Reid’s – a.k.a.
the Green Hornet – father.
This means that through the latest films, Seth Rogen is a descendant of Armie Hammer,
a strange proposition if there ever was one.
Inception and The Matrix
These two sci-fi titles are known for throwing audiences for a loop.
Here’s one more.
A theory states Inception is actually a prequel to The Matrix.
The biggest piece of evidence comes in the form of Robert Fischer, who after being incepted,
decides to break up his father’s empire and forge his own path.
Evidently, that meant solar energy, which would be the source the machines used later
on.
The theory also suggests that the dream machine in Inception is a beta version of the Matrix
plug in and that the bullet time is a variation of Inception’s concept of time, where activities
in the dream world take longer than in reality.
It’s very interesting and would make for an entertaining crossover.
Star Wars and E.T.
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are longtime friends, and that relationship led to a couple
of great Easter eggs in their films.
In Spielberg’s E.T., the titular alien encounters a kid dressed as Yoda for Halloween, identifying
the child as a sign from “home.”
Many years later, Lucas returned the favor.
In one of The Phantom Menace’s Senate chamber scenes, there are three creatures that strongly
resemble E.T. in one of the pods.
Elliot’s companion apparently calls the galaxy far, far away home.
Perhaps he’s strong with the Force, and that’s why he can lift bikes with his mind.
So what do you think of our list?
Which hidden shared universes are your favorites?
Are there any we missed?
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