The 10 Most Confusing Movie Franchises

When a film is successful enough, a sequel is made. If that does well, it could lead to a trilogy, spin-offs, and suddenly a franchise is born. The problems that then often arise are that these films are rarely written or directed by the same person, the original actors are not always available, and certain storylines might end up being received differently than initially anticipated.

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As this happens, some plot points might get pushed to the side or dropped completely. Characters who are fan favorites might meet their grizzly end in one movie, only to be brought back due to popular demand. There are also remakes that may or may not do well, and may or may not need to somehow be inserted back into the original timeline. This all results in a lot of confusion among viewers about some of the longest-running Hollywood franchises.

10 The Halloween Franchise

He Who Cannot Be Killed

John Carpenter’s original idea for a Halloween anthology series, with multiple unrelated horror stories all set around Halloween. However, after the success of the 1978 film, the studio saw the potential in Michael Myers and was adamant that the sequel center around the original characters. Myers was killed off in Halloween II‘s ending, and the third installment focused on a different story altogether. That film didn’t do well, and the rights to the characters from the original movie were sold, and got a new lease on life. Quite literally.

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There have been 13 Halloween movies so far, and the way they all connect is confusing. Jamie Lee Curtis did not return for multiple installments but did come back for Halloween H20 in 1998. This was a reboot of sorts, introducing her son and having a new group of teens in focus. Then, only four years later came Halloween: Resurrection, which seems to include Laurie Strode from a different timeline altogether. The Rob Zombie versions were remakes, but then came the 2018-22 trilogy. Those seemed to bypass everything that happened in the 1990s, including the son being replaced with a daughter.

9 The Jack Ryan Franchise

The Many Faces Of One Spy

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The Tom Clancy character is popular with fans of espionage and high-octane action, but for viewers, it’s been difficult to get on board with his on-screen persona. The Hunt for Red October introduced audiences to a younger, more inexperienced version of the character played by Alec Baldwin, with the two sequels starring a more gruff and worldly Harrison Ford. Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger are probably the only two standalone films that tie together in any clear way.

Jack Ryan was nowhere to be seen until 2016, when a reboot starring Chris Pine came out, featuring a fresh-faced version of the character, with a hefty focus on his backstory. This third iteration didn’t resonate well enough with moviegoers, and the character went through yet another revamp. The Amazon series starring John Krasinski has so far been the most consistent version of the CIA agent. But, for anyone only watching from the start, it’s hard to keep track of who this character is, what adventures are canon, and where he is in his life.

8 The Charlie’s Angels Franchise

The Mystery Of Charlie Continues

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Many people enjoyed the original show from the 1970s and tuned in every week to see what adventures the three Angels were taking on. However, not much thought went into backstories, character motivation, or any type of realism. For a story that was meant to be centered on empowering women, the cast alternated quite a lot during the series, something that is alluded to in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. With only Jaclyn Smith sticking around for the full run of the show and storylines constantly repeating, audiences could no longer get on board with Charlie’s mysterious world.

The reboot with Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, and Cameron Diaz brought a new edge to the franchise, making it more about sisterhood and independence. All three worked well together and had wonderful chemistry, but viewers were still left thinking: “What is Charlie’s deal?” The 2019 reboot tried expanding the world, which only made it even more confusing. Bosley became a rank rather than a person, and viewers were left wondering how many more Angels are out there, and how all the dots connect.

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7 The X-Men Franchise

More Than Just Wolverine

With comics, animated shows, and multiple movies, the timelines for all these mutant heroes are practically impossible to connect. Focusing only on visual media may seem like a more straightforward approach, but it actually isn’t. The original trilogy stars Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, and Patrick Stewart, among many others, with an arc that could just about be followed. Then came the Wolverine movies, each so different in tone, with unfamiliar characters and plot points. Viewers weren’t sure who to focus on, or whether they’d be important in any future installments.

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The prequels are set in another timeline altogether, focusing on younger versions of the mutants, but not necessarily those that viewers were used to. This alternate universe was addressed in Days of Future Past but still left many with more questions than answers. Add to that Deadpool and the MCU connection, and the easy answer seems to be: the Multiverse. While that may wrap everything up in a neat bow, it does not help those who would really like to know how it all goes together.

6 The Die Hard Franchise

The Evolution Of The Good Samaritan

What started off as a run-of-the-mill action movie soon became a phenomenon. Often debated whether it’s a Christmas film, this high-octane caper saw Bruce Willis taking on a group of terrorists, with bare feet and a sleeveless vest. He’s a regular guy, who, through bravery and cunning, manages to save the day, and his estranged wife. By the fourth movie, he’s flying motorcycles into helicopters and by the fifth, he’s taking on the Russian mob.

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This sort of stretch was hard to grasp for anyone who was a fan of the original trilogy. Each film is connected to the other in some way, with characters making an appearance or bad guys being related to each other. They were also grounded in reality so audiences could imagine themselves in John McClane if their adrenaline kicked in enough. Once the reboots came, all that was out the window; instead, the usually hungover detective became a G.I. Joe type action hero, which made the reality of the previous movies fade away completely.

5 The James Bond Franchise

He Only Lives Seven Times, & Counting

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There have been six official James Bond actors (seven if David Niven is counted), and that’s just the first hurdle of confusion. Technically, Casino Royale (1967) is a film about 007 and even features many characters from the universe, but it is not considered part of the official franchise. There’s never any explanation within the films whenever an actor is changed, apart from off-the-cuff quips. Many characters remain the same and are even played by the same actors across multiple films, despite the Bonds being different. M, Q, and Moneypenny have all dealt with many versions of Bond.

If one were to consider the timelines to be confined to each actor, then that leaves the quandary of how each adventure ties in with the other. The questions remain: what becomes of the characters he encounters on the way, and why Sean Connery was sandwiched between two Roger Moore films. Daniel Craig’s run seems to be the most cohesive, but with his fate at the end of No Time To Die, audiences will have to deal with yet another shake-up once the new James Bond is chosen.

4 The Saw Franchise

A Nightmarish World

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There are many questions posed by the occurrences in the Saw universe, but as this billion-dollar franchise proves, sometimes it does not need to make sense. The original film was fresh, and extremely disturbing, but very innovative. Imagining being put in a situation where, in order to survive, one must endure unimaginable torture was a very clever horror trope to explore. The viewer’s focus was so much on what was happening that little things like “why” and “how” may not have been at the forefront of their minds.

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With each subsequent sequel and spin-off, as Jigsaw’s network grows and the set-ups become more elaborate, these questions start resonating more. The timelines are hard to keep track of, and the reasoning starts to get lost as the franchise reaches double digits. With some sequels faring better than others, certain plot points were abandoned in favor of others, and Saw X seemed to wipe the slate clean in a way, going back in time and offering a do-over of sorts.

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3 Phases 4 & 5 Of The MCU

A Multiverse Of Madness

When Samuel L. Jackson appeared at the end of Iron Man, it was the start of something special. An intricately woven story, where all the puzzles fit into place by the time of Avengers: Endgame. What followed was too much of a good thing. There are too many standalone films to be doing the same clever nods to each other. There’s an oversaturation of shows that viewers can barely keep track of, and with many films and series failing to do well, their future and importance in the timeline are uncertain too.

The first three phases had clear key players who were all introduced to each other early on. Audiences were able to follow their adventures, waiting for when they’d share the screen again. The current phases are taking too long to introduce the main threat, and have yet to have a notable team-up, other than The Marvels . Introducing the multiverse has added another layer of confusion and an unlimited combination of cast and characters, meaning that the stakes are more distant.

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2 The Matrix Franchise

The Chosen Ones Lose Their Spark

The first installment by the Wachowskis was responsible for bending minds as well as spoons. The concept of the current reality being a simulation resonated with many people stuck in a routine and felt like they couldn’t get out of it. For some, it went completely over their heads, very in line with the red pill/blue pill quandary. Once audiences go deeper into the mythology, it starts to get even more complicated. For viewers, both the Matrix world and the “real world” are taken in the same way, with the Matrix even looking more familiar.

Every time any of the installments is watched, one has to concentrate on what the mechanics are, and what rules apply where. The ending of the original trilogy is a lot to try and comprehend as well. The twist that even those living in Zion are in the form of a loop was a lot to handle. With The Matrix Resurrections, yet another set of rules was introduced, leaving a new set of fascinating questions in their wake.

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1 The Terminator Franchise

They’ll be back

Looking back at 1984, it all seemed so simple. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator is sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor because she’ll give birth to a rebel leader who threatens the new world order. A concept so well-executed and well-received that five more movies followed. Because time travel is the main gimmick, the franchise can easily get away from audiences by taking place in different versions of time, based on what story is being told.

As actors aged, or were replaced, the timeline had to adapt to cater to these changes, offering multiple versions of reality at the end of each movie. Viewers sometimes get lost between which one is real, and each new sequel brings with it more problems and continuous errors. But, with the amount of timelines to explore and a hint of nostalgia for what once was, it’s safe to say this universe isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

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