5 Surprising Cinematic Universes (And 5 Which Never Got Off The Ground)

Following the mammoth critical and commercial success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, multiple filmmakers and studios desperately attempted to follow in Marvel's footsteps and emulate the success of the superhero series.

However, some of these proposed shared universes never really got off the ground, failing to attract audiences and critics alike. Often due to a combination of poor box-office performance, negative reviews, and widespread disinterest, these failed franchises never managed to come to fruition, with proposed prequels, sequels, and spin-offs quickly scrapped.

Guy Ritchie's King Arthur, for example, was set to be one film within a multi-movie universe, with separate films for other key characters. Following an abysmal performance at the box-office, however, these plans were ultimately scrapped.

On other occasions, however, cinematic universes pleasantly surprise their audiences, revealing connections and links which had previously gone unrecognized. Similarly, sometimes filmmakers succeed in creating a rich, well-developed universe following the success of a film which had previously been planned as a standalone venture.

So, here are five shared universes which surprised their viewers, and five which were eventually abandoned.

Paul Feig's 2016 reboot of Ghostbusters, the beloved supernatural comedy hit starring Bill Murray, was an all-round critical and commercial disaster. Starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, and Kate McKinnon, this all-female remake flopped upon release, failing to break even given the film's surprisingly high production costs.

To make matters worse, Sony had initially hoped that the reboot would then launch a new Ghostbusters franchise, with multiple sequels and spin-offs in various stages of planning. Both Feig and the principal leads had actually signed on for at least two more films within the series.

However, following the film's abysmal box-office performance, any plans for further films in the franchise were promptly scrapped, and there has been little chatter since regarding the future of this particular series.

Fortunately for Ghostbusters fans however, a direct sequel to the original, well-loved films has recently been announced, and the movie is slated for a 2021 release. Starring Paul Rudd and Finn Wolfhard, the film will also feature supporting roles for Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife will hopefully evoke the spirit of the original Ghostbusters series far more successfully than Feig's veritable flop.