Thanks to blockbuster comic book movies, cinematic universes are all the rage in modern Hollywood... but Robert Rodriguez has actually been playing with that concept for decades now. In addition to building multiple franchises, like the Mexico Trilogy, Spy Kids, and Machete, he's left clues all along the way suggesting that they take place in the same world. Sadly, there has never been any kind of Avengers-like crossover event to bring them together, but according to Rodriguez, that may not be true for much longer:
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.
In promotion of his new series, Rebel Without A Crew, on Verizon's go90, Robert Rodriguez was kind enough to hop on the phone with me earlier this month, and it was at the end of the interview that I asked a question I've been thinking about for years. Being a long-time fan, I've known about his cinematic universe for years now, and have wondered if he's considered some way of coalescing everything to strengthen the connections. Rodriguez didn't disappoint, admitting that he has considered doing something with the idea in the comic book medium.
Thanks to his long-time collaboration with Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez's movieverse has actually been analyzed to exist as a Cinematic Universe inside the Tarantino-verse (as in they are the movies playing in cinemas that characters in Tarantino films go to see). As mentioned, this includes the Mexico trilogy, four Spy Kids features, and two Machete movies, but also everything related to From Dusk Till Dawn, and both halves of Grindhouse. Tarantino's specific contributions include bot Kill Bills, and Django Unchained (and things get even weirder from there because it's been said Shaft is a descendant of Jamie Foxx's character).
That clearly would be a lot to try and bring together in a movie, so it does make a lot of sense that the comic book route would be the way to go.
Continuing, Robert Rodriguez mentioned that one thing holding up the crossover project is the fact that he currently has a lot on his plate, and simply doesn't have the time necessary to pursue it. That being said, he also made it sound like he is actively looking at something different than comics for the idea as well, so we'll just have to wait and see. Said Rodriguez,
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.
Stay tuned for more updates about this potential venture -- but also be on the lookout for plenty of Robert Rodriguez's projects out this year. Rebel Without A Crew is currently six episodes into its first season (you can watch for free on Verizon's go90's website), and his latest film, Alita: Battle Angel will be arriving in theaters on December 21st.
