The Marvel Cinematic Universe has set a new standard for shared universes and blending content between film and television. As a result, multiple franchises have followed suit, with some succeeding like the Star Wars universe. However, with a new Chucky series on its way, it looks like the horror franchise will be the next property to dive into the multiverse.
An interview with franchise creator Don Mancini reveals that Syfy's Chucky series is unlike anything seen before in horror. Not only will the show tell a totally new chapter in the life and times of the killer doll, but it will also serve as a follow-up to the previous film, Cult of Chucky. Mancini confirmed this by stressing how the series is not a reboot but a continuation of the films that came before.
Making the films in the franchise canon to the series ensures revisiting multiple plotlines. While Chucky's main plot revolves around the titular doll's relationship with a new child named Jake, there is a chance that characters from the earlier films can reappear. Mancini reaffirms this by explaining, " I deliberately ended Cult of Chucky on a series of cliffhangers, major cliffhangers, because I knew a TV series would be the ideal place to accommodate delving into the ramifications." The series' plan is for all paths to converge into one major throwdown.
Much like the Avengers assembling, Mancini has big plans leading to a confrontation with the franchise's heroes and Chucky. To do this, the series wants to spread out its story between television and movies. However, not much is known about the parameters of this ambitious idea. Still, Mancini explains, “We have plans to do [more movies], whether in lieu of additional seasons of the series or in tandem with [them], potentially...” While a massive undertaking, Chucky is the best property to explore these ideas because he has made so many enemies both in his franchise and the alternate universe that has branched off from it.
In 2019, a reboot of the original film took the voodoo out of Chucky's origin and played around with the idea of artificial intelligence turning against humans in doll form. While not as successful as the main Child's Play series, it offered a different perspective that could technically be considered part of the newly established Chucky shared universe. But for now, the canonization of the equally terrifying Buddi doll remains in the realm of speculation.
The upcoming Chucky series has big plans for its future on both the big and small screen. With so many plot threads and characters from the previous films left wide open, the possibilities are endless for what could spawn from the new series. Of course, a connected universe is the last thing anyone expected, especially with a trailer that hardly calls back to the previous films. But knowing that it all ties together, the adventure to connect the dots will undoubtedly be exciting and bloody.
Chucky is slated to premiere Tuesday, Oct. 12 on USA and Syfy. The series ignores the 2019 Child's Play reboot, serving as a follow-up to the 2017 film Cult of Chucky.