No matter how beloved a franchise is, sometimes its better to think about the good days then let it run on for too long.
An online discussion recently revealed 12 franchises we wish would end.
Star Wars
One fan stated, “I'll die on this hill. The originals were cool and a completely different movie than what people were used to, but that should have been the end of them.”
They added, “I find the fan base highly toxic (not like other fan bases aren't) and ravenous for whatever expanded lore they release. – You haven't watched them in the right order.”
Another said, “The reality is that the entire series consists of two flat-out great movies, a few flawed but fun ones but also a lot of utter cr*p. And the utter cr*p outnumbers the ones that are good to great.”
They continued, “There are times I'm blown away by all by its prominence in culture, considering how bad a lot of it is. It's a testimony to the world Lucas created in a few movies that the fandom is what it is.” Finally, they confessed, “And I say this as someone who also has that Pavlovian reaction to many things involving Star Wars.”
Ben 10
One TV watcher nominated, “Ben 10. I enjoyed the first three shows, 4th one is mixed for me, but that 5th show which is that reboot that came after, was unnecessary.” They continued, “It shows that Cartoon Network relies on making money from toy sales rather than telling a good story from that reboot.”
Another agreed, “So true. The original three were really good and well-connected with each other, and they showed the normal life of the characters too. Overall fun to watch.”
Call of Duty
A gamer added, “Or FIFA, Madden, NHL, MLB, etc., etc. You pay full price for the same game with only changes to team rosters.”
Many agreed the Call of Duty had been the same for at least the last three years. Noggin-a-Floggin asked, “How many times have they gone back to WW2? It's like three times, right?”
Another admitted, “I mean, there is a lot of ground to cover in WW2. But they cover none of it, so.”
Marvel
One filmgoer suggested, “Marvel. It used to be a big event when they released projects. Now new things are coming out every month. As a result, quality has gone down.”
Another said, “I agree. Unfortunately, Disney has required Marvel to produce multiple shows to keep the Disney+ pipeline going, so I no longer care to keep up with the MCU. Like Star Wars, the whole brand has been cheapened as a result.”
A third stated, “I can agree they're producing TOO much content. However, a new show is announced monthly and is not focused on making one or two things amazing.”
A fourth agreed, “Yeah, they sealed their fate there as well. With almost everything continuing the same story, if you miss one of the dozens of movies, tv shows, video games, etc., suddenly you have no idea what's going on.”
Yet another person continued, “That was my biggest issue with the new Dr. Strange. It relied heavily on viewers seeing WandaVision.” They concluded, “I mean, I stopped reading comics because I got tired of needing to read a dozen different titles to complete a storyline.”
Halloween
One moviegoer asked, “Is the next Halloween really going to be the last one or not?” 5Garbanzobeans answered, “Forever? No way. Michael Myers is an “immortal” character. The End of the current story? Yes.”
Another commenter didn't believe so and added, “It'll be something like this. “The Laurie Strode vs. Michael Myers saga is over, BUT Michael LIVES!” Positive-Source8205 used a Homer Simpson reference, joking, “It'll be the last one, so far.“
The Walking Dead
One fan said, “Absolutely. I stopped watching when I found myself actively hoping the protagonists would be killed off in gruesome ways.”
Another person admitted, “I stopped watching after they killed Glenn. It felt too cruel as a narrative. I know it happened in the comic, but somehow the comic was more, IDK, humane about it?”
However, people immediately pointed out that Negan splattered Glenn's brains all over The Walking Dead comic pages.” said a reply, “I came here to say this…I was a huge fan for the first 3-4 seasons, and then it just got boring.” They concluded, “I am still watching it because I've come this far, but I never really got into any of the spin-offs.”
Teen Mom
One TV fan responded, “MTV's Teen Mom. Although they still act like teenagers, the moms are in their 30s.”
Another suggested, “Part of me thinks the only reason it's still on is that MTV knows several of the cast members have no other way to make money, and they're waiting to see if any of the kids become teen parents.”
Finally, a third replied, “I think it's more because MTV knows its primary demographic is the aging millennials that watched the original series and still find comfort in the same cast.” They concluded, “Teen Moms isn't really about teenage pregnancy. It's more just mini Truman Shows of a few people.
Fast & Furious
Several people quoted lines from the Fast & Furious franchise, garnering several laughs and votes. One film buff stated, “Stupid but fun movies, though I gotta admit F9 ruined that fun by being self-aware.”
Another answered, “Honestly, they should've just ended it with F5. It completely stopped being about street racing and heists after that.”
Many believed that the franchise should've ended when Paul Walked died. And, Paperaxe joked, “They familied the family right out of my family.”
Grey's Anatomy
The ABC drama has been on the air for over a decade, but fans feel like the show is now repetitive and ridiculous.
“I gave up in season 10, then tried again and caught up a few seasons but it’s just kind of relentless, ruins good characters and rapidly churns out new, forgettable ones,” said one viewer.
Many mention that they wished it ended after the pandemic season.
Toy Story
When the Disney and Pixar film was first released in 1995, it changed movies forever. Toy Story and Toy Story 2 are some of the best-animated movies ever made.
While some were cautious before the release of Toy Story 3, it proved to be a worthy ending to the trilogy. Then came Toy Story 4 in 2019. Somehow, it became the biggest opening for an animated film at the time and has the same critical approval as its predecessors.
With the upcoming release of Toy Story 5, many are hoping that Disney isn't pushing their luck, especially after the box office failure of Lightyear.
Jurassic Park
Speaking of movies that changed the industry, 1993's Jurassic Park is an all-time classic from Steven Spielberg. The CGI and visual effects are so good they still impress even today. Plus, that iconic soundtrack will take your breath away.
Recently, however, the Jurassic World movies have failed to capture that same magic. Yet we keep getting new entries in the film series.
“None of the sequels have even been decent,” says one filmgoer. “Why do people keep watching them?!”
Pokémon
It'll never happen given how much money the Pokémon video games make, but many are frustrated with the current state of the video game series.
One fan says, “Its not that they have explored every possible avenues for the franchise, its that in a lot of ways they have been extremely slow to change things up, and fans are as concerned about bringing things back as they are about moving forwards.”
2022's Pokémon Legends: Arceus breathed new life into the franchise, but the tepid response from the recently released Scarlet and Violet frustrated fans.
A thread inspired this article.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
Featured Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures.