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Once the Marvel Cinematic Universe became the juggernaut fans are familiar with, everyone else wants one, too. While there have been some great movies in the DCEU, making a cohesive universe out of them has not gone well. There have also been attempts at a Universal Monsters Universe, which has landed with a thud so far.
But there has also long been talk of a Hasbro Cinematic Universe (HCU). This would consist of at least Transformers and G.I. Joe but also potentially M.A.S.K., Micronauts, Rom, and Visionaries. That concept looks like it might be DOA but it might not have been a good idea in the first place.
10 BAD IDEA: Not Really Necessary
This is one of those situations where “could” does not equal “should.” Hasbro could definitely build a cinematic universe based on those incredibly varied properties. It could start with solo movies introducing each unique concept, then build to an ensemble piece.
But that doesn’t mean they should. There will inevitably be people out there who will want to watch some or all of these movies. At the same time, it’s hard to imagine that there’s much demand for them on a large enough scale. To put it bluntly, it’s unlikely that they’ll do big box office dollars.
9 GREAT IDEA: Something Different
There has been a lot of chatter that some people are tired of seeing the same style of movies over and over at theaters. This obviously applies to superhero-based films, primarily. Between Disney and Sony, there are now four or five Marvel movies a year, not counting any Disney+ series.
While the HCU would still be made up of big-budget special effects fests, they would at least consist of unfamiliar characters and stories to most people. It would be, on some levels, something different.
8 BAD IDEA: Lack Of Interest In The Smaller Properties
Whenever any studio announces a movie, people will inevitably start asking who it’s for. This is especially true of the endless stream of adaptations, reboots, and sequels that keep coming out. Not everyone is interested in them.
In reality, the only people who are going to be interested in movies based on properties like the Micronauts are those people who remember them from back in the day. Unless it’s an incredible movie, it’s hard to imagine anyone else buying a ticket.
7 GREAT IDEA: Massive Story Potential
What makes this HCU idea so intriguing is the fact that combining all of these properties has massive potential. Each one of them has its own unique story to tell, one that could stand out from everything else on the screen.
But having them all interact could be huge, particularly for the lesser-known characters. People are extremely aware of the Transformers franchise at this point. Having them work with M.A.S.K. would help bring attention to that property.
6 BAD IDEA: Starting Several Steps Back
Part of the success of the MCU was having recognizable characters. While they didn’t have established movie stars like Spider-Man and Wolverine off the bat, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and Hulk all still had strong name recognition before their movies.
Most of the potential Hasbro Cinematic Universe does not have that. There would be a lot of work to do in building even a minimal level of name recognition for many of the properties. Getting most movie-goers out to a dedicated Rom movie is going to be a hard sell.
5 GREAT IDEA: Huge Nostalgia Appeal
It’s hard to deny the nostalgic appeal of the MCU or even the DCEU. Even lapsed comic book fans who haven’t picked up an issue in 30 years are interested to see what their favorite character from back in the day is like on movie screens.
The same could be true of the HCU. M.A.S.K., Micronauts, Rom, and Visionaries all have fans who were into them as kids and will suddenly find themselves riding that nostalgia wave all the way to movie theaters.
4 BAD IDEA: So Much Explanation Will Be Required
While that might be good for people familiar with the properties, trying to explain what is going on in some of them to viewers who aren’t is going to be difficult at best. As an example, Captain America, Superman, and Iron Man are pretty straightforward and most people have a general awareness of them.
Micronauts, on the other hand, require a lot more explanation. The same is also quite true of M.A.S.K. Most people are going to have no idea what’s going on in them and it will likely take more than a single film to be able to explain it all to viewers.
3 GREAT IDEA: A Lot Of Classics In One Place
What makes this concept kind of fun is that it’s a bunch of classic properties in one place. It has the potential to be great if executed correctly. Fans of the MCU are constantly waiting for the next hero or villain to show up. That anticipation is a huge part of the allure.
That would only be amplified in the HCU. Fans would be wondering when another entire batch of characters would arrive and take the story to the next level. It would leave fans constantly speculating as to what or who could be popping up next.
2 BAD IDEA: No Pre-Existing Interaction Between Many Of The Properties
Yes, it’s nice to have so many properties in one place. The appeal is undeniable. The problem from a storytelling perspective is that there is nothing really connecting them outside of being owned by the same company.
The MCU works because all of those characters are already connected by decades of stories. None of the proposed properties for the Hasbro Cinematic Universe have anything that really ties them all together. It’s hard to imagine M.A.S.K. and G.I. Joe making sense in one movie.
1 GREAT IDEA: G.I. Joe & Transformers Fit Well Together (& Have Already Crossed Over In Comics)
To be completely honest, what fans want out of this situation is G.I. Joe and Transformers working together in a movie. There is a long history of them being in the same stories in the comics, so replicating that in movies feels right.
Everything else would have been completely unnecessary. Adding M.A.S.K., Micronauts, Rom, and Visionaries into the mix would have done nothing but muddy the waters. The money idea in all of this is G.I. Joe and Transformers together.
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