It is a basic instinct to want to pump out a sequel to a successful movie, but sometimes the best thing for a franchise’s longevity is a well-deserved break from theater screens. While goodwill can bring an audience back for a sequel, nostalgia, and anticipation can do even more, especially for a franchise that had worn out its welcome, but then audiences grew to miss. Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Top Gun: Maverick, and Avatar: The Way of Water all benefited from having a long gap since their last entry, and other franchises might take a page from their books.
Some of these franchises have become too repetitive and stale, and it seems the only thing that can save them is a long hiatus and a complete creative revamp, while others should go out on a high, and let audiences linger in the success before rebooting. Many of these franchises have future installments planned, and while projects shouldn’t necessarily be canceled, slowing down and thinking about where the franchise is could not hurt.
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8 Halloween
Most Recent Entry: Halloween Ends
Halloween Ends
*Availability in US
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- rent
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- Release Date
- October 14, 2022
- Director
- David Gordon Green
- Cast
- Jamie Lee Curtis , Andi Matichak , James Jude Courtney , Will Patton , Kyle Richards , Rohan Campbell , Nick Castle
- Runtime
- 111 Minutes
- Writers
- Chris Bernier , John Carpenter , David Gordon Green , Debra Hill , Paul Brad Logan , Danny McBride
- Story By
- 213011,213013
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures
In 1978, the original Halloween redefined the horror genre with its simple yet atmospheric story of a killer returning to his home neighborhood. Since then, there have been 12 more movies, and none have come close to the heights of the first. Most entries in the franchise feel repetitive as Michael Myers runs around Haddonfield stabbing teenagers, while the films that try to do something different are rejected by fans and critics alike.
Despite being one of the more interesting entries in the franchise, Halloween Ends was considered a massive disappointment and now seems like the right time to put the franchise on ice. The iconography of Michael Myers and his knife has been milked dry, and there is no more nostalgia to play off of, so it is best that audiences don’t return to Haddonfield until a filmmaker has a new and exciting take.
7 Terminator
Most Recent Entry: Terminator: Dark Fate
Terminator: Dark Fate
- Release Date
- November 1, 2019
- Director
- Tim Miller
- Cast
- Linda Hamilton , Gabriel Luna , Fraser James , Natalia Reyes , Arnold Schwarzenegger , Brett Azar , Steven Cree , Diego Boneta , Mackenzie Davis , Claudia Trujillo
- Runtime
- 128 minutes
- Writers
- Billy Ray , Justin Rhodes , David S. Goyer
- Studio(s)
- Paramount Pictures , Disney
The Terminator franchise has struggled after T2, with the timeline constantly rebooting itself in the hopes of reigniting the franchise. After 30 years and four failed movies, it is time for Terminator to call it quits, at least for a little while. The last film in the series, Terminator: Dark Fate, relied far too heavily on nostalgia for the original films, and if the Terminator franchise is going to find success outside of James Cameron, it needs to be a fresh new perspective on the concept and not a repeat of T2.
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6 The Monsterverse
Most Recent Entry: Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
- Cast
- Kurt Russell , Wyatt Russell , Anna Sawai , Kiersey Clemons , Ren Watabe , Mari Yamamoto , Anders Holm , Joe Tippett , Elisa Lasowski
- Seasons
- 1
- Writers
- Chris Black , Matt Fraction
- Streaming Service(s)
- Apple TV+
- Directors
- Matt Shakman
- Showrunner
- Chris Black , Matt Fraction
Outside the MCU, Warner Bros’ Monsterverse has been one of the more successful cinematic universes, and the projects in the franchise range from great monster movies, to fine summer blockbusters. However, with Godzilla vs. Kong wrapping up the major narrative arch of the series, and Godzilla Minus One blowing everyone away, now might be the right time for the Monsterverse to go into hibernation. The franchise hasn’t worn out its welcome yet, but it easily could.
With Monarch expanding the Monsterverse into TV, and Godzilla x Kong on its way, there is a lot of Monster content coming out in short succession, and it runs the risk of feeling too samey and uninteresting. Godzilla Minus One proved that these characters are mailable and can be interesting to modern audiences, but it also showed where the Monsterverse is lacking. The franchise needs either a break or a massive artistic shake-up.
5 SPUMC
Most Recent Entry: Morbius
Morbius
- Release Date
- April 1, 2022
- Director
- Daniel Espinosa
- Cast
- Adria Arjona , Al Madrigal , Jared Harris , Matt Smith , Jared Leto , Tyrese Gibson
- Runtime
- 108 minutes
- Writers
- Matt Sazama , Burk Sharpless
- Studio(s)
- Sony
See at Amazon
From Morbius to Venom to the upcoming Madame Web and Kraven The Hunter, Sony is trying everything in their power to create a compelling universe out of lesser-known Spider-Man characters. While the Venom movies are fun enough, it is clear that the studio does not have a solid plan for this universe and is throwing at the wall to see what sticks. With superhero fatigue setting in among regular moviegoers, there just isn’t room for sub-par origin movies about villains, and unknown side characters.
4 John Wick
Most Recent Entry: John Wick: Chapter 4
John Wick: Chapter 4
- Release Date
- March 24, 2023
- Director
- Chad Stahelski
- Cast
- Hiroyuki Sanada , Clancy Brown , Scott Adkins , Keanu Reeves , Ian McShane , Bill Skarsgard , Laurence Fishburne , Rina Sawayama , Donnie Yen , Lance Reddick , Shamier Anderson
- Runtime
- 169 minutes
- Writers
- Shay Hatten , Michael Finch
There hasn’t been a bad John Wick movie yet, and the most recent entry was a new high point not just for the franchise, but also for American action cinema. With John Wick: Chapter 4 wrapping up the story in the best possible way, any attempt at returning to the franchise shortly runs the risk of spoiling a terrific ending. There have been talks of John Wick: Chapter 5, and the spinoff Ballerina is set to release later this year, but hopefully, the John Wick spin-offs stand on their own and not ruin the legacy of a great franchise.
3 Transformers
Most Recent Entry: Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
- Release Date
- June 9, 2023
- Director
- Steven Caple Jr.
- Cast
- Pete Davidson , Peter Cullen , Anthony Ramos
- Writers
- Joby Harold
- Studio(s)
- Paramount Pictures
Since director Michael Bay left the franchise, the live-action Transformers movies have struggled artistically and financially. Bumblebee was embraced by fans and critics, but it wasn’t the box office hit the previous films were, and Rise of the Beasts disappointed across the board. The spectacle and awe of the Transformers no longer have the shine they once did, and there isn’t the same level of nostalgia for the 80s cartoon that there once was. The last film teased a team-up with GI Joe, but the best thing for the Transformers franchise would be to park itself for a little.
2 Harry Potter
Most Recent Entry: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
*Availability in US
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- Release Date
- April 15, 2022
- Director
- David Yates
- Cast
- Eddie Redmayne , Jude Law , Ezra Miller , Mads Mikkelsen , Dan Fogler , Alison Sudol , Callum Turner , Jessica Williams , Katherine Waterston
- Writers
- Steve Kloves , J.K. Rowling
- Studio(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures , Heyday Films
The original eight Harry Potter films were some of the biggest movies of all time. However, interest in the prequel films was significantly less, and the Fantastic Beast franchise was cut short by two movies. Lackluster movies, plus J.K. Rowling’s controversies, have made the Wizarding World less magical than it used to be, and the best thing for it would be to allow audiences to miss it. Even HBO Max’s planned Harry Potter TV show feels futile, as several generations associate the characters with the original cast.
1 The MCU
Most Recent Entry: The Marvels
The Marvels
- Release Date
- November 10, 2023
- Director
- Nia DaCosta
- Cast
- Brie Larson , Teyonah Parris , Iman Vellani , Zawe Ashton , Gary Lewis , Park Seo-joon , Zenobia Shroff , Mohan Kapur , Saagar Shaikh , Samuel L. Jackson
- Writers
- Nia DaCosta , Zeb Wells , Elissa Karasik
- Where To Stream
- Disney+
Just a few years ago, it would have seemed crazy to suggest that the biggest movie franchise in the world needed to take a break, but in 2024, the MCU is in desperate need of some time on the bench. After the phenomenon of Avengers: Endgame, the quality of projects has gone up, while overall quality has gone down. It hasn’t been all bad, as films like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and shows like Loki have been highlights of the franchise, but the MCU’s problem goes beyond mediocre movies.
The fun of the MCU was tracking characters and stories through several films, and that was manageable when there were two films a year, but now there are hundreds of hours in the MCU per year, and it is just too much. Audiences are never given the time to miss their favorite characters or build anticipation. Superhero movies may be exiting the spotlight of modern Hollywood, but some version of the MCU can still thrive, just as long as it gives audiences time to breathe.
