Some Kind Of Robert Rodriguez Cinematic Universe Project Is In The Works
Though the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the first film franchise to take multiple film series and bridge them together on such a large scale, it's not the first time movies have shared the same universe on the big screen outside of traditional sequels.
Universal's classic monster movies all existed in the same world, Kevin Smith built his View Askewniverse that was connected by shared characters such as Jay & Silent Bob, Quentin Taranito's movies all have little connections to each other, and they even shared some connections with the interconnected films of Grindhouse co-director Robert Rodriguez. Now one of them will be creating a new project set in their cinematic universe.
For those who don't know, most of the films of Robert Rodriguez all take place in the same world. El Mariachi, Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Machete, Machete Kills, From Dusk Til Dawn, Planet Terror, and the Spy Kids all exist in the same universe. And it sounds like Rodriguez is working on something that brings them all together in a more direct way.
Speaking with CinemaBlend, Robert Rodriguez was asked if he might make a film akin to Avengers: Infinity War with the characters from his own connected films:
"I have [thought about that] very many times for different mediums. Yeah, for sure. You may see something soon! I've definitely been aware of the connections all the characters could have in that world, in their own range of kind of larger than life superheroes. I definitely have been looking at it in the comic world. There was a comic company that wanted to do something with me, and I suggested that very thing, and they love that idea."
A comic book doesn't sound anywhere near as ambitious as what Avengers: Infinity War has accomplished, but that's the exception to the rule rather than the rule itself. But it's also a lot cheaper, which makes sense since there probably isn't enough demand among audiences to see characters from some of these cult favorites come together. However, it sounds like a comic book isn't the only medium Rodriguez is considering:
"Sometimes there's just not enough hours in the day for all the fun stuff to do! But there's definitely another medium that might even be better than that. So we'll definitely keep in touch about that, because that's really a cool idea, and it's also a lot of fun how these things can cross pollinate."
Could Rodriguez maybe be trying to get a series off the ground for his El Rey Network? Or is there a chance Netflix might be willing to throw some money at a project like this to pick up the niche audience who loves Rodriguez's films? It's hard to tell at this point, but the idea is certainly alive for the time being. The question is whether any of the connections to Quentin Tarantino's films will be prominent in the project. We'll have to wait and see when/if it comes together.