9 Movie Franchise Staples That Actually Came From Sequels

4. The Wasteland - The Road Warrior

Mad Max 2
Warner Bros.

The Mad Max series doesn't really follow one continuous story, with it only being Max himself - and the injuries he sustains from surviving longer in this post-apocalyptic future - who remains constant from movie to movie (bar one actor change). Even the iconic wasteland itself, this gas-deprived hellscape filled with cartoon characters and S&M loving bandits, was a product of the second film.

Sure, the original takes place in a dystopia, but it's a far cry from the nightmarish end-times Earth that acts as the backdrop for the rest of the franchise. Things are going south for sure, but there's still some semblance of normality; people still live in houses, police attempt (but mostly fail) to keep order, and it's only really the lack of gas that's causing anarchy.

It's not exactly paradise, but it might as well be compared to the nightmarish state the world is in in subsequent sequels.

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Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.