The amazing “Infinity War” may have perfected the ambitious and astonishing cultural crossover, with its MCU cross-pollination. But it didn’t invent it! Not by a long shot.
Here are some cool crossovers from years past. Let’s mash it up!
“King Kong vs. Godzilla†(1962)
The Monsterverse is hardly going to be the first time Godzilla and King Kong meet for an epic duel! As the third film in the Godzilla franchise, Toho Limited brought over Skull Island’s monstrous ape for a showdown. A celebration of the company 30 years in production, King Kong vs. Godzilla satirized Japan’s Television Industry by having a medicine company pit the two giants against each other for the sake of publicity. Admittedly, the film is pretty cheesy and dated, but that only enhances its charm. Featuring new scenes and sound, a heavily edited English version was released a year later.
“Freddy vs. Jason†(2003)
Nearly two decades in the making; New Line and Paramount had been trying to bring these two slasher movie legends together since the late ’80s. Due to licensing problems, fans of A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th had to wait until 2003 for this dream matchup. Serving as the finale for both franchises, Freddy vs. Jason saw the forgotten Kreuger manipulating Voorhees to cause mayhem in Springwood. Not a big fan of sharing, Jason reluctance to leave any victims for Freddy leads to the horror icons trading blows, resulting in an awesome but short fight.
“Who Framed Roger Rabbit†(1988)
A cinematic masterpiece and a heartwarming celebration of American Animation’s Golden Age. Directed by Back to the Future’s Robert Zemeckis and based on a novel by Gary K. Wolf, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a neo-noir fantasy film set in a universe where toons are real. Co-produced by Steven Spielberg’s Ambling Entertainment, the Jaws director convinced studios like Warner Bros. to allow their iconic characters to be used in the film. With over a hundred cameos from eight different studios, where else can someone see Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, and Betty Boop in the same scene?
Are there any other crossovers you think are particularly notable? Let us know!