Where The Monsterverse Could Go Next
Image Source: CultureSlate
Within the horror genre, there are multiple “Monsterverses” to explore. The most popular are the Kaiju-focused universe, which features monsters like Godzilla and King Kong, and Universal’s Dark Universe, which features monsters like the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Dracula, and Frankenstein. These monsters have been around for decades, and while there are multiple remakes and reimaginings, they each keep their focus on monsters we are already well acquainted with. For this article, I am going to dive into two major ways that the Monsterverse could expand, with my focus being on Universal’s version.
The first way that I think they should expand the Monsterverse is by leaning into folklore and urban legends. Most monsters are inspired by folktales from around the world, but it is time that we explore some of the lesser-known stories and legends. It would be fascinating to see Krampus become a monster within the Monsterverse. I could see him working well in a standalone story or a story with Frankenstein’s Monster or possibly even Dracula. It would be easy to introduce him with a Christmas film but then utilize him in non-holiday-specific films as well. It would also be interesting to see Universal try their hand at bringing an urban legend figure into their monsterverse.
RELATED:
Image Source:Tokyo Weekender
We already have plenty of horror films using Slender Man, Candyman, and Bloody Mary, but what about the other urban legends? You could stick with the most popular urban legends like the Chupacabra or Bigfoot, but you could also explore lesser-known legends. The two that stick out to me the most are both from Japan and would make truly horrifying films. Kuchisake-Onna, also known as The Slit-Mouthed Woman, and Toire no Hanako-San, also known as Hanako of the Toilet, would be perfect figures to add to the Monsterverse. Both tales are terrifying, but they also have plenty of variation, which will allow writers and directors to create their own stories.
The second way that I think they should expand on the Monsterverse is by bringing in more female monsters. The only female monsters currently in the Monsterverse are Dracula’s Brides and Bride of Frankenstein. The problem with Dracula’s brides is that we don’t really get to see them as Monsters except in 2004’s Van Helsing, where we actually get to see them fight. In all other iterations, they are essentially present to pleasure Dracula and to distract Jonathan Harker from what is actually going on in the castle. The Bride of Frankenstein is honestly just a disgusting example of how men look at women. I won’t spoil the movie in case you want to watch it, but her character has less than 15 minutes of screen time in a film that is named after her character and has a runtime of 75 minutes. Both examples of female monsters are disappointing and problematic.
It is time that we finally have female monsters that are just as impressive as Dracula and the Wolfman. It would also be incredibly easy to do this. You could either pull from urban legends like the ones I mentioned above, or you could even create entirely new monsters that we have never seen anywhere. Universal could introduce a female vampire that is a rival of Dracula’s and doesn’t fall for his charm, or you could take the legend of the Loch Ness Monster and create a female creature that meets the Creature from the Black Lagoon. In 2024, it is disappointing to see the lack of female monsters in the Monsterverse, but I am hoping that we will see these changes occurring sooner rather than later.
You can rent most of the original Universal monster movies on Amazon Prime.
READ NEXT:
Latest News
Featured
