海角大神

Forget sequels. A new form of storytelling is increasingly taking hold in Hollywood: the spinoff, in which many movies take place in the same fictional universe.

Marvel Studios, with its cast of characters adapted from comic books, has taken the form to new heights. Marvel鈥檚 formula for success has been to focus on one superhero and then have that hero appear as a supporting role in other superhero films. Consider its Avengers team. Audiences were gradually introduced to members of the gang through earlier films, such as 鈥淗ulk鈥� (2003) and 鈥淚ron Man鈥� (2008). Then they all swooped into the same screen and fought evil together in 鈥淭he Avengers鈥� (2012).聽

But Marvel isn鈥檛 done yet. The characters in the Aug. 1 movie 鈥淕uardians of the Galaxy鈥� (an alliance of misfits that includes a talking raccoon) are scheduled to appear in an upcoming 鈥淎vengers鈥� movie for a massive hero meet-up, according to 鈥淕uardians鈥� director James Gunn.聽

This is happening in other fantasy universes, too. In the 鈥淴-Men鈥� franchise, featuring a team of mutant superheroes, Wolverine got two spinoffs before joining back up with the group for the May release of 鈥淴-Men: Days of Future Past.鈥澛�

What鈥檚 going on? Has Hollywood run out of ideas for new movies? Paul Levinson, author and professor of communications and media at Fordham University in Bronx, N.Y., notes that this method of teasing out a story within a story has a long tradition in both literature and television. It was a favorite tactic of Shakespeare, for instance. More recently, Orson Scott Card鈥檚 acclaimed 1999 science-fiction novel 鈥淓nder鈥檚 Shadow鈥� was a spinoff of his earlier work 鈥淓nder鈥檚 Game鈥� published in 1985. Many popular TV series have spawned multiple spinoffs as well.

Hollywood is just taking it to blockbuster levels 鈥� and fans don鈥檛 seem to mind one bit.聽

Disney has confirmed there will be spinoffs about individual 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� characters as well as the upcoming main entry in the franchise, 鈥淪tar Wars: Episode VII.鈥澛�

Meanwhile, 鈥淗arry Potter鈥� author J.K. Rowling is writing the screenplay for a movie, set to launch a series, that will be titled 鈥淔antastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.鈥� It will take place in Harry鈥檚 world but center on a zoologist living decades earlier than the boy wizard.

Whatever the medium, Professor Levinson thinks focusing on another character or time period in a fictional universe can revitalize a series, if done right.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very limiting to have to write a sequel or prequel,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 easier to go sideways.鈥�