History Main / TorchTheFranchiseAndRun

* While the entire ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' is still going as a whole, several of its sub-franchises have written some of its stories and character arcs written in ways that they could no longer be continued.
** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' does this for ''The Infinity Saga'', as Natasha Romanoff (aka Black Widow) dies from sacrificing herself for the Soul Stone, and Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) dies after using the Infinity Stones that were gathered from the time heist to snap 2014 Thanos and his goons out of existence. Also, the original Infinity Stones were destroyed by OG Thanos five years earlier, and Steve Rogers (aka Captain America) ends up traveling back to the 1940s to stay with Peggy Carter after returning the time-heist Infinity Stones to their original points in time and his elderly self passes the shield to Sam Wilson (aka Falcon), believing him to be a worthy successor for the Captain America mantle.

* This is parodied in the ''WesternAnimation/RockosModernLife'' episode "[[Recap/RockosModernLifeS3E10WackyDelly Wacky Delly]]": Rachel (then known as Ralph) Bighead wants to get out of her contract with a TV network, who want her to create another hit show for them, so she hires Rocko, Filburt, and Heffer to come up with ''Wacky Delly'', the worst possible show imaginable. Despite the production being a complete wreck due to their inexperience, on top of her earnest efforts to sabotage it, [[SpringtimeForHitler the show becomes a huge hit]]. When convinced to accept her lot and actually put actual time and effort into the episodes herself, ''Wacky Delly'' is immediately cancelled.

** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' does this for ''The Infinity Saga'', as Natasha Romanoff (aka Black Widow) dies from sacrificing herself for the Soul Stone, Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) dying after using the Infinity Stones that were gathered from the time heist to snap 2014 Thanos and his goons out of existence. Also, the original Infinity Stones were destroyed by OG Thanos five years earlier, and Steve Rogers (aka Captain America) ends up traveling back to the 1940s to stay with Peggy Carter after returning the time-heist Infinity Stones to their original points in time and his elderly self passes the shield to Sam Wilson (aka Falcon), believing him to be a worthy successor for the Captain America mantle.

* ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'' ends about as definitively as it can: Over 95% of the cast dies in the final battle, the demonic threat is permanently ended through the death of Muzan, and the withering of the Blue Spider Lily, which is the origin of said threat. Furthermore, just to erase any lingering possibilities of a continuation, the story's final chapter flash forwards 100 years into the future, showing the lives of the surviving cast's descendants.

* The ''[[ComicBook/TransformersRegenerationOne Regeneration One]]'' continuation of ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel'' seems to have been designed to make any continuation as difficult as possible. By the end of the series, nearly all the Decepticons are dead, as are the vast majority of Autobots and most human characters, Earth and Nebulos are both in ruins, nearly every imaginable plot thread is firmly tied up, and every antagonist is either redeemed or shown in a highly unsympathetic light before being killed off. The universe has been cut off from the multiverse and by extension their god, meaning that no new Cybertronians can be born and the ones that do exist will now die of old age, and a DistantFinale confirms that all the surviving characters did exactly that, living lives of quiet penitence in the aftermath of the war before rusting away into nothingness over the course of many years. The final page suggests that a new form of life will blossom on Cybertron, but it's certainly not played as a SequelHook.

* The ''Regeneration One'' continuation of ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel'' seems to have been designed to make any continuation as difficult as possible. By the end of the series, nearly all the Decepticons are dead, as are the vast majority of Autobots and most human characters, Earth and Nebulos are both in ruins, nearly every imaginable plot thread is firmly tied up, and every antagonist is either redeemed or shown in a highly unsympathetic light before being killed off. The universe has been cut off from the multiverse and by extension their god, meaning that no new Cybertronians can be born and the ones that do exist will now die of old age, and a DistantFinale confirms that all the surviving characters did exactly that, living lives of quiet penitence in the aftermath of the war before rusting away into nothingness over the course of many years. The final page suggests that a new form of life will blossom on Cybertron, but it's certainly not played as a SequelHook.

* ''VideoGame/GodOfWarIII'' ends with an apocalypse, all the Greek gods dead, and Kratos performing a HeroicSacrifice to save what's left of humanity. TheStinger however hints at Kratos' survival. The next installments ''VideoGame/GodOfWarGhostOfSparta'' and ''VideoGame/GodOfWarAscension'' were prequels designed to answer the few mysteries left. It wasn't until 2018 that the timeline continued with the SoftReboot ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'', focusing on Myth/NorseMythology instead.

* ''Series/DoomPatrol2019'' concludes with Rita Farr/Elasti-Woman dying of old age before she could have her longevity restored, the surviving members of the Doom Patrol disbanding to move on with their lives and Cliff Steele/Robotman shutting down for good after reuniting with his family during his grandson's first birthday since the regaining of his longevity wasn't enough to overcome his Parkinson's. In effect, this prevents any chance of a continuation being produced.

* The ''TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness'' was well-known for its {{Metaplot}}, which steadily built up towards the end of the world. Which ultimately ''happened'' across several books (one each for ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'', ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'', and ''TabletopGame/MageTheAscension'', with an additional book called ''Time of Fire'' to wrap up the other lines), ending the Old World of Darkness. Later revisits to the setting were "metaplot-agnostic", taking place before anything got ''really'' bad.

** ''Anime/DragonBallGT'' was a PostScriptSeason to [[Anime/DragonBallZ the anime]], and its lack of planning showed, with the production suffering from many teething issues, as well as the ratings and merchandise sales slowly declining due to franchise fatigue, something that started with the Buu arc of ''Z''. As a possible reflection of that, the ending is far more final than ''Z'''s, which had left plenty of room for continuation. It concludes with the show's main plot device and ResetButton, Shenron, [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence vanishing from reality]] and taking the Dragon Balls with him while lecturing the cast about how they abused their power. Goku goes with him after taking the time to visit his friends and provide some closure on his relationships with them. After that, a DistantFinale confirms that Goku and Shenron don't return for the next century, and by then all the other characters barring his granddaughter Pan are dead. Incidentally, the writers of ''GT'' has this ending in mind from the very beginning, as they knew they were on borrowed time. When making ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', Toei decided to set it in the ten-year TimeSkip at the end of the manga, and over several years it slowly made clear that it didn't acknowledge ''GT'' (meaning ''Super'' doesn't have to worry about it if it ''were'' to tell stories after the end of the manga).

* The final arc of ''ComicBook/Batgirl2000'', ''Destruction Daughter'', had to wrap up the series while it was being cancelled due to DC editorial deciding they have too many female-lead titles, to be replaced with a book that lasted four issues and the editorial already planning to turn the main character, Cassandra Cain, evil in one of worst cases of CharacterDerailment in comics history. As such, ''Destruction Daughter'' has Cassandra find ComicBook/LadyShiva is her mother and working for organization that nuked Bludheaven, killing all of the book's supporting cast. This leads Cassandra to break her ThouShaltNotKill rule, murder Shiva and quit superheroics, deciding she is no longer worthy to wear the bat-symbol.

Can also be the result of TheCharacterDiedWithHim, espcially when it's the main character and the creators don't want to recast the character.

* The final arc of ''ComicBook/Batgirl2000'', ''Destruction Daughter'', had to wrap up the series while it was being cancelled due to DC editorial deciding they have too many female-lead titles, to be replaced with a book that lasted four issues and the editorial already planning to turn the main character, Cassandra Cain, evil in one of worst cases of CharacterDerailment in comics history. In line with this ''Destruction Daughter'' has Cassandra find ComicBook/LadyShiva is her mother and working for organization that nuked Bludheaven, killing all of the book's supporting cast. This leads Cassandra to break her ThouShaltNotKill rule, murder Shiva and quit superheroics, deciding she is no longer worthy to wear the bat-symbol.

* Before the release of ''VideoGame/DeadSpace3'', EA stated that there would be no sequel unless the game sold over ''5 million'' units, more than the first two games ''combined''. Needless to say, the game fell far short of that mark. This may explain why the ''Awakened'' DLC ends with the Brethren Moons fully awakening and beginning their campaign of genocide on the galaxy, and there is literally ''nothing'' Isaac, Carver, or ''anyone'' can do to stop them, making further sequels all but impossible. Interestingly, there ''was'' a plan on what to do after the DLC, as explained [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVJWYmfR8kU in a Wha Happun? video]] by WebVideo/MattMcMuscles: it would have remnants of humanity aboard a flotilla and advance from there.

* ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV'' was written with finality in mind, as Creator/{{THQ}} was going through some serious financial troubles and went bankrupt [[TroubledProduction during the game's development]]. Then came a bunch of expansions... along with [[VideoGame/SaintsRowGatOutOfHell a standalone expansion set in Hell]], [[VideoGame/AgentsOfMayhem a spin-off that follows from an ending in the standalone expansion]], [[VideoGame/SaintsRow2022 and a hard reboot that attempts to start over from scratch]].

* Creator/TexAvery killed off his character [[WesternAnimation/TexAveryMGMCartoons Screwy Squirrel]] after four films as audiences couldn't warm up to him. Subverted some 45 years later when Creator/HannaBarbera revived him (as Screwball Squirrel) for their series ''WesternAnimation/DroopyMasterDetective''.

* ''Series/DoomPatrol2019'' concludes with Rita Farr/Elasti-Woman dying of old age, the surviving members of the Doom Patrol disbanding to move on with their lives and Cliff Steele/Robotman shutting down for good after reuniting with his family during his grandson's first birthday. In effect, this prevents any chance of a continuation being produced.

* While Creator/CharlesSoule didn't do this with ''ComicBook/DaredevilCharlesSoule'', Creator/ChipZdarsky [[https://www.cbr.com/daredevil-interview-zdarsky-checchetto/ revealed that he and Soule did joke about writers' tendency to do this]] with ''ComicBook/{{Daredevil}}'' when preparing for [[ComicBook/DaredevilChipZdarsky his own run]]. The series has long had a tradition of writers ending their runs with either insane DarkestHour cliffhangers or demolished status quos and leaving the next writer to deal with it, a practice started by Creator/FrankMiller when he ended his seminal run with Matt being stripped of his license to practice law and his life plunging into turmoil after [[BigBad Kingpin]] learned his identity. Later writers would go even further, with such memorable torchings as Creator/AnnNocenti leaving Matt broken up with or betrayed by [[BettyAndVeronica both of his love interests]] and struggling to recover, Creator/BrianMichaelBendis exposing his secret identity then sending him to prison, Creator/EdBrubaker having him [[FaceHeelTurn become leader of the Hand]] after his wife is driven insane by Mister Fear, and Creator/MarkWaid going the opposite direction and giving the character a [[EarnYourHappyEnding conclusive happy ending]] that the above-mentioned Soule had to [[HappyEndingOverride override]] to tell his own story.

* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight'' ends with [[BigBad Scarecrow]] revealing Batman's SecretIdentity to the entire planet and follows it up by [[TrashTheSet literally torching Wayne Manor with Batman and Alfred still inside]]. The endings to the Riddler and Penguin sidequests make it clear not even his closest friends will see him again. Only for almost everything about this to later be abandoned in ''VideoGame/SuicideSquadKillTheJusticeLeague'', which is not only set in the continuity of the ''[[Franchise/BatmanArkhamSeries Arkham]]'' games, but directly features the actual, genuine Batman returning (doubly serving as the final role of the late Creator/KevinConroy).

** In-universe: in ''Literature/{{Misery}}'', the author Paul Sheldon grows to hate his series of romance novels about Misery Chastain. In his latest book, he kills Misery so he can end the series and focus on more "serious" writing. Then he finds himself under the care of a demented fan (the Kathy Bates character in the movie) who's ''very'' unhappy with that ending. She forces Paul to write one more novel to undo that ending.

* Similarly, the ''Franchise/ToyStory'' film series ended with Woody and Buzz parting ways in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory4'' in order for Creator/{{Pixar}} to prevent any more sequels from being made especially since the [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory3 third installment]] is considered a ToughActToFollow. Though like ''Shrek'' above this doesn’t mean the end of the franchise, as spin-offs like ''WesternAnimation/ForkyAsksAQuestion'' premiered on Creator/DisneyPlus and another theatrical film called ''WesternAnimation/{{Lightyear}}'' was released in 2022. Ultimately this wasn't enough, and a fifth film was announced.

* Similarly, the ''Franchise/ToyStory'' film series ended with Woody and Buzz parting ways in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory4'' in order for Creator/{{Pixar}} to prevent anymore sequels from being made especially since the [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory3 third installment]] is considered a ToughActToFollow. Though like ''Shrek'' above this doesn’t mean the end of the franchise, as spin-offs like ''WesternAnimation/ForkyAsksAQuestion'' premiered on Creator/DisneyPlus and another theatrical film called ''WesternAnimation/{{Lightyear}}'' was released in 2022. Ultimately this wasn't enough, and a fifth film was announced.

The solution? [[TitleDrop Torch the franchise and run]]. Write one last story that totally wrecks everything. [[EverybodyDiesEnding They kill off everyone they possibly can]]. They make the lives of all of the characters a living hell before executing them. [[KilledOffForReal They make 100% sure that everyone is dead]], and those that aren't have [[NothingIsTheSameAnymore no way of returning to the status quo]] [[LongBusTrip or main premise of the show.]] However, the author can also achieve this in the form of an unambiguous ''happy'' ending where the villains are defeated for good and the conflict is resolved in such a way that everyone lives HappilyEverAfter. This version often gets combined with the DistantFinale, which locks down the fates of the cast for the next few years, decades, or even centuries--forcing future writers to either [[DistantSequel take the plunge with a vastly different status quo]], or attempt to retcon the ending entirely.

* ''Anime/DigimonAdventureLastEvolutionKizuna'' was intended as this to the original ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'' continuity as explained by [[https://digi-lab.blog/digimon-adventure-last-evolution-interview-director-tomohisa-taguchi-talks-about-the-challenge-of-destroying-the-series-and-his-gratitude/ this interview]]. Ironically enough, [[https://www.reddit.com/r/digimon/comments/exof4l/comment/fggwhzv the director of the original anime series]] was going to work on ''Kizuna'' [[CreativeDifferences but stepped out]] because the movie was [[GodDoesNotOwnThisWorld contradicting the rules of the original setting]]. The next version of [[Anime/DigimonAdventure2020 this series]] ended up being a ContinuityReboot that disregards the film entirely. A sequel involving the cast of ''02'' is also set for release, potentially rectifying some of the events.

* ''Series/SleepyHollow'' was already circling the drain after a very negatively-received second season and then word (internally; this information was not made public until afterward) comes down that [[spoiler: the co-star, Nicole Beharie, is exiting the show. ''Sleepy Hollow'' is essentially like ''Series/TheXFiles'', in that it's about two partners solving weird supernatural crimes together, but there is one even worse problem. Apparently, the writers' room came to ''hate'' Nicole Beharie (as evidenced by comments made by them on social media and later in an autobiography that she released), so what do they do? Kill Abbie off and leave Crane alive, even after the show explicitly stated that it was always about ''both'' Witnesses, not just one. Fox then stupidly renews the show with a new actress in Beharie's place rather than canning it and just letting the entire ship go down at once. The decision of course was reviled by most of the fans. Instead of the season proceeding as usual, the fourth Abbie/Nicole-less season dropped ''eight hundred thousand viewers'' and was subsequently canceled and ensured that no one would resume the show since the entire fandom was livid over Abbie's fate and while Crane is still a compelling character, he was nothing without his other half. To truly illustrate how far the show fell from grace, it started season one with ten million viewers and ended season four with only ''one.'']]

* This is how ''WesternAnimation/TheGhostAndMollyMcGee'' ends. Scratch remembers he is the Wraith of Todd Mortenson, Adia's former best friend who spent his entire life being afraid to take any risks. Ultimately losing his passion for life and "giving up the ghost" which resulted in Scratch. In an effort to finally start living, Scratch reunites with his body. Todd decides to reunite with Adia and see the world, with it left ambiguous if he even remembers being Scratch at all.

*** And then went on to retcon the original torching - it wasn't Old Loki who took over Kid Loki, but a copy Old Loki had created to screw Kid Loki over (Old Loki being definetly dead after the end of Siege). Old Loki's plan worked, but the third Loki was haunted by guilt over killing Kid Loki and subconsciously used his reality-warping powers to manifest the Kid Loki ghost. Once he owned up to what he'd done, the ghost disappeared. That Loki then split into two different versions from alternate timelines, one that [[ThenLetMeBeEvil embraced Old Loki's evil]] and one that chose to voluntarily embrace ego death and build a new identity. The Loki that continued after that all shook out within ''ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard'' was effectively a ''fourth'' version.

* ''ComicBook/XMen'' spin-off ''ComicBook/XStatix'' creator Creator/PeterMilligan bloodily slaughtered all the surviving team members in the book's final issue. Not that this stopped him from revisiting some of them for a miniseries set in the afterlife, or other writers from bringing back Doop in future series. And twenty years later the characters were reintroduced in a series called ''The X-Cellent'', taking advantage of the post [[Creator/JonathanHickman Hickman]] status quo that death is never permanent for mutants.