| 1 | When a {{Sequel}} or {{Prequel}} to a work isn't actually stated or advertised as such. At first, it looks like a SpiritualSuccessor, ContinuityReboot, AlternateUniverse, or some other closely related universe tie-in but it turns out to be a direct sequel. This might just be hinted at, or expressed outright near the end. CanonWelding often uses this to tie multiple formerly independent franchises together. The work may have a RecycledTitle. See also BroadStrokes. |
| 2 | |
| 3 | When the fandom considers a work as this to another unrelated work, see FanonWelding. |
| 4 | |
| 5 | As you might guess, there will be '''SPOILERS'''. |
| 6 | |
| 7 | ---- |
| 8 | !!Example Subpages: |
| 9 | [[index]] |
| 10 | * StealthSequel/AnimeAndManga |
| 11 | * StealthSequel/VideoGames |
| 12 | [[/index]] |
| 13 | |
| 14 | !!Examples: |
| 15 | |
| 16 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 17 | |
| 18 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 19 | * Creator/JackKirby managed to form an unofficial trilogy by connecting three different comics he made for separate publishers. He threw in some subtle hints that his ''ComicBook/NewGods'' series for Creator/DCComics was actually a DistantSequel to his run on ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'' over at Creator/{{Marvel|Comics}} (mainly establishing that the New Gods rose from the ashes of a previous pantheon, implied to be the ruins of a post-Ragnarok Asgard). In turn, his later, creator-owned series ''ComicBook/CaptainVictoryAndTheGalacticRangers'' (which was published by Pacific Comics under the condition that Kirby would have full creative control) was hinted to be a continuation to ''New Gods'' (establishing near the end that Captain Victory in his youth fled his home planet Hellikost to escape the influence of his grandfather Blackmass, which are both clearly Apokolips and Darkseid [[WritingAroundTrademarks renamed to avoid litigation from DC]], and heavily implying Captain Victory to be [[SpinOffspring the son of Orion]]). |
| 20 | ** While Kirby was working for DC on the ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}} Super Powers]]'' toyline and animated series, he was invited back to work on the tie-in comics. The second volume of ''Super Powers'' acts as a direct sequel to the "Hunger Dogs" story that was the then-finale of ''ComicBook/NewGods'', starting with [[spoiler:Darkseid, Dessad, and Kalibak escaping Apokolips as the masses rise in rebellion to overthrow Darkseid's regime]]. |
| 21 | * When Creator/PeterDavid first began work on ''ComicBook/{{Fallen Angel|2003}}'', there were some ''strong'' hints that it was actually a sequel to his previous ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'' series, and that the heroine, "Lee," was actually Supergirl herself. This was changed when the series [[ChannelHop was moved from DC to IDW]], preventing any such revelation from ever occurring. A character named Lin was later introduced, and WordOfGod is that she's essentially a LawyerFriendlyCameo from the Linda Danvers version of Supergirl. |
| 22 | * ''[[ComicBook/DCRebirth Rebirth]]'' reveals that ''ComicBook/TheNew52'' is one to [[spoiler:''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', since the New 52 is a case of Dr. Manhattan pulling a CosmicRetcon on the main DCU by messing with the timeline and people's memories.]] |
| 23 | * Creator/JephLoeb's final arc on ''ComicBook/SupermanBatman'', "With a Vengeance" wasn't just a cap to his run on the book, but it also turned out to be [[spoiler: as a sequel to ''ComicBook/EmperorJoker'' as the villains of the arc ultimately turn out to be ComicBook/TheJoker and Mr. Mxzytplk.]] |
| 24 | * ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol'': At first, it seemed like Gerard Way's run on ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol2016'' would be a reboot of the franchise, especially since it was the debut title of the Creator/YoungAnimal imprint and does not acknowledge the team's then-most-recent appearance in Geoff Johns' ''Justice League'' run. However, issue 3 makes it clear that both Grant Morrison and Keith Giffen's runs did indeed happen, by having Robotman reference events within those series. |
| 25 | * ''ComicBook/TroubleMarvelComics'' was marketed as Marvel's attempted GenreRelaunch of romance comics. Then you notice the names of the main characters--brothers Richard and Ben, with their girlfriends Mary and May--and you realize this is actually a bizarre, HotterAndSexier prequel to ''ComicBook/SpiderMan,'' centered around his family's dysfunctional love lives instead of superheroes. It made some pretty big {{Retcon}}s, most notably [[spoiler:May sleeping with Richard and [[FamilyRelationshipSwitcheroo being Peter's birth mother]]]], and thus quickly became CanonDiscontinuity. |
| 26 | * While not solicited as such, ''ComicBook/BatmanDamned'' is a sequel to ''ComicBook/{{Joker}}''. Not only is it by the same team, Creator/BrianAzzarello and Lee Bermejo, but they confirmed it to be a "quasi-sequel" and the story does feature a number of design elements and lines returning, as well revealing that the body seen falling at the end of ''Joker'' wasn't POV character Jonny Frost, but the Clown Prince himself. |
| 27 | * The [[ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse Donald Duck]] comic ''The Seven Sands of Cibola'' was originally presented as a remake of Carl Barks's ''Seven Cities of Cibola'', adding to the original story a search for seven kinds of magic sand that the inhabitants of the lost cities originally made. When they finally find them, Huey, Dewey and Louie discover that one of the sands have the power to restore lost memories... and soon they remember everything about the first time they came there, but sadly they can't stop in time the Beagle Boys [[ShaggyDogStory before they accidentally destroy everything and make everyone forget everything again.]] |
| 28 | * ''The Adventures of the ComicBook/XMen'' #12 reveals the series had been this to ''the entire Marvel Universe as we know it''. These stories you had been reading, that were based on Marvel's nineties cartoons? They were actually set in the Sixth Infinity, the multiverse that existed before the Seventh Infinity of which Earth-616 is a part. Over the course of the story (which naturally serves as a GrandFinale to the comic), the X-Men attempt to repair the M'Kraan crystal, the Nexus of All Realities, but fail, while a bold explorer named Galan merges with the sentience of the universe and survives to become ComicBook/{{Galactus}}, and the Living Tribunal releases [[ComicBook/MarvelVersusDC two brothers]] who will shepherd the creation of the new Creator/{{DC|Comics}} and Creator/{{Marvel|Comics}} multiverses in the future. And as this new age dawns, we see Professor X call his X-Men to him to introduce them to his latest student, a young girl named Jean Grey... AndTheAdventureContinues! |
| 29 | * ''ComicBook/TheGreatPowerOfChninkel'' is a deconstruction of the story of Jesus and the nature of an almighty God, as a nobody called J'on is tasked with a MissionFromGod and given a "great power" to help him liberate the Chninkel from their suffering by ending the ForeverWar. God, i.e. O'ne, takes the form of a [[ShoutOut giant monolith]]. [[spoiler:Indeed, the ending scene leads directly into the opening of ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'' and puts a very sad twist on that film.]] |
| 30 | * ''ComicBook/DeadpoolKillsTheMarvelUniverse Again'' features another reality where Deadpool is, like the original story, brainwashed by a villainous party into killing heroes. Near the end, Deadpool discovers that the X-Men have been massacred and soon finds evidence it wasn't him, but Wolverine, who did it, suggesting ''Again'' is a prequel of ''ComicBook/OldManLogan'', though it does raise some {{Continuity Snarl}}s with some of the characters. |
| 31 | * ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyGenerations'' is this to the [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie1986 1986 My Little Pony Movie]]. The villains are the granddaughters of Hydia, the BigBad of the film and they are tasked by their mothers to get revenge for their defeat years ago. |
| 32 | * ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'' SpinOff ''ComicBook/{{Lawless}}'' centres around colonial Judge Marshall Metta Lawson who has taken up the post of Marshall of a township named Badrock. There are questions raised regarding Lawson being a judge, especially since she eschews using her Lawgiver in favour of a pulse rifle. As it turns out, she is a judge, albeit one who changed her identity, since she is really Zia Freely from a prior SpinOff, ''ComicBook/{{Insurrection}}''. |
| 33 | * ''ComicBook/{{Irredeemable}}'' is a meta-prequel to superhero comics in general and [[spoiler:Superman in particular.]] At the end of the series, Qubit [[ExactWords fulfils his promise to redeem Plutonian]]... [[spoiler:By disintegrating his physical form and scattering The Plutonian's essence across the multiverse, some of which landed on our earth and inspired two boys who are strongly implied to be Jerome Siegel and Joe Shuster to create the Man of Steel we know.]] |
| 34 | * ''Comicbook/Outsiders2023'' starts off looking like a Bat-book. It starts Kate Kane and Luke Fox, even if they do have a new mission to "catalog the unknown and manage the consequences", and it's named after a team usually led by Batman. But the ''next'' member of the team calls herself Drummer, and is referred to as "the fourth man", and their first mission involves rediscovering the long abandoned Carrier from ''Comicbook/TheAuthority'', reminding us that the Creator/WildStorm universe was intergated into the DCU. The final panel reveals that Drummer does, in fact, have a copy of ''The Comicbook/{{Planetary}} Guide''. |
| 35 | [[/folder]] |
| 36 | |
| 37 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 38 | * ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfiction: |
| 39 | ** In ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'', it's eventually revealed that [[spoiler: [[BadFuture the Dark World Arc]] was a prequel to the main series the entire time. It's the original timeline where Twilight, after defeating an evil future version of herself and ascending into an Alicorn, eventually sacrificed herself to [[TomatoInTheMirror create Shining Armor and the Interviewers]], which [[PointOfDivergence split off the timeline]] and created an alternate universe where Discord was defeated a thousand years before he was in the BadFuture]]. |
| 40 | ** In ''Fanfic/RuinValue'', it is revealed at the end of the story that it is a stealth prequel to [[spoiler: the entire canon series; the story is set millennia before the present in the show, when Luna, Celestia, and Discord were all young, and the ponies were the product of genetic engineering]]. |
| 41 | * At first glance, ''VideoGame/TouhouALive'' appears to be no more than ''VideoGame/LiveALive'' [[FusionFic with the Touhou girls instead]], especially if one happens to start with either Ponga or Youmu, whose chapters are almost identical to their counterparts’. As it progresses, however, [[spoiler:more and more ''Live A Live'' characters appear, as Moribe is one of Cirno’s opponents and Masaru challenges her at the end, the Earthen Heart successor (Yun in this case) is revealed to have trained Hong Meiling, Cindelman/Livingstill is the ArcVillain of Mokou’s chapter, Gibson/Cesar founded his own Old West town after Dio’s defeat, and, in the final chapter, Makai turns out to be none other than Lucrece after Odio destroyed it.]] The game is therefore this trope, not to ''Touhou'', but to '''''Live A Live'''''. |
| 42 | * ''Fanfic/HalfLifeFullLifeConsequences'' has ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4869457/1/Halflife-Hero-Beggining Half-Life: Hero Beggining]]'', the only installment without "Full Life Consequences" in its title. Unlike the first two installments, which focus on Gordon Freeman's brother, John Freeman, this instead stars Henry Freeman and shows him rebelling against the "Combines." At the very end of the fic, when Henry Freeman is about to be killed, John Freeman suddenly reappears and says, "[[WhamLine Combines leave my son alone]]," revealing that he is Henry Freeman's father and this is part of this Full Life Consequences series. |
| 43 | * ''Fanfic/TheRedemptionOfHarleyQuinn'': A few story elements reveal this to be a precursor to the author's previous work ''Fanfic/NewTamaran'', most notably Batman and the Justice League being off-planet and Lyle Bolton accepting a position at Belle Reeve. |
| 44 | ** ''Fanfic/BeastBoyAndRavenJoinPETA'' reveals itself to be a sequel to ''New Tamaran'' when Raven unveils herself as the host of The Spectre. |
| 45 | * ''VideoGame/HoloFunk'', a GameMod for ''VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin'', was initially released and is still billed as a mod replacing the game's characters with the talents from ''WebAnimation/{{hololive}}''. Gameplay-wise, it ''is'' just that, to the point where Shishiro Botan's songs are just remixes of Pico's own songs and some other songs incorporate elements of their counterparts in the base game. Look deeper into the story, however, and it becomes a double subversion: Most of the original cast (barring Senpai) is still around, but implied to be sufficiently different people brought together by {{Contrived Coincidence}}s since "Boyfriend" (named Kenji Tensei) is merely emulating the ''FNF'' protagonist (with the game having been demoted to a ShowWithinAShow) and the Dearests were ripped off to create the ''FNF'' antagonists, much to their chagrin. ''Then'' it's heavily implied that Kenji experienced all the trials and tribulations of the Boyfriend from our world's ''FNF'' (dating and leaving Pico, falling in love with Girlfriend, repeatedly being hounded by the Dearests, etc.) ''that do not happen in his world's version of the game'', showing that they are indeed this continuity's counterparts to the originals in a way that ''[=HoloFunk=]'', despite some use of AdaptationTropes and a [[UrbanFantasy setting change]], becomes a fan sequel to the base game's events. |
| 46 | * Due to its many {{Continuity Nod}}s, several of the rewritten episodes in ''Fanfic/ADashOfLogic'' become this to previous canon episodes. |
| 47 | ** “Squid Baby” becomes one to “Back to the Past” at the very end, where [=SpongeBob=]’s time-traveling shenanigans (somehow) cause a dystopian future where Man Ray rules Bikini Bottom. |
| 48 | ** “Squidward, You’re Fired” is essentially a direct sequel to “Can You Spare a Dime?”. [[OnlySaneMan Gary]] even tells [=SpongeBob=] how Squidward used and mistreated him the last time he was a freeloader crashing at [=SpongeBob=]’s place, but [=SpongeBob=] ignores his warnings. |
| 49 | ** “Squid’s Visit” becomes one to “[=SquidBob TentaclePants=]”, as the events of that episode are [=SpongeBob=]’s main motivation for holding Squidward hostage. [[spoiler: And for Squidward having these paranoid dreams.]] |
| 50 | * ''WebVideo/MasakoXDragonBallWhatIf'': One entry, ''a friend at the end of time'' follows a post-HeelFaceTurn [[Anime/DragonBallSuper Merged Zamasu]] caring for an alternate version of Future Trunks in the remains of his timeline, along with telling stories [[CallBack that are the other What-Ifs Masako covered]]. Trunk would then request Zamasu's time ring so he may save his timeline from a powerful threat, [[spoiler:becoming Nomad from ''Fanfic/WhatIfGokuLandedAtCapsuleCorp'']]. |
| 51 | * At first ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/54331414?view_adult=true PMMM: Friend of a Friend]]'' is initially presented as a ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' FixFic, with the Magical Girl Akisa Sori using memories of various {{Alternate Timeline}}s to aid the Puella, such as helping save Mami from her canon death and aiding her in taming the witch Charlotte, preventing Sayaka from becoming a Magical Girl to heal Kyosuke and inevitably become a [[FaceMonsterTurn Witch]] once she crosses the DespairEventHorizon, and reveal the AwfulTruth to the quintet and how [[ManipulativeBastard Kyuubi]] has been using him. However, after failing to keep Madoka from contracting with Kyuubi, Sori reveals to Homura [[ItOnlyWorksOnce that she is unable to repeat the process after absorbing and killing her alternate selves]], but encourages the other girl to [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong to keep trying to go back in time as she will inevitably save Madoka]]. However, [[TheEndingChangesEverything the ending reveals Sori's real goal]] [[spoiler:was to give Homura the extra boost to keep trying until a Madoka has enough Karmic Potential to become a god, and from there set the chain of events towards ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagicaTheMovieRebellion'' where Homura becomes the Devil, takes Madoka's powers, and uses her powers [[PayEvilUntoEvil to make Kyuubi take on all the curses of the world as the Incubators had causes other Magical Girls to suffer for their mission]]. In turn, this allows Sori to finally get her revenge in the long run as she becomes a Witch and tortures the current timeline's Kyuubi]]. |
| 52 | [[/folder]] |
| 53 | |
| 54 | [[folder:Films — Animated]] |
| 55 | * In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegoBatmanMovie'', Alfred says he's seen Batman go through similar phases before. We're then treated to LEGO versions of clips from every previous Batman movie down to a live action clip of the [[Film/BatmanTheMovie 1966 film]]. To make it worse Alfred quotes them as happening in the real life years the movies were made, meaning the Batman must be [[OlderThanTheyLook older than he looks]]. When Barbara Gordon describes Batman's long history, we see LEGO recreations of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', ''WesternAnimation/SuperFriends'', and [[Film/BatmanAndRobinSerial the 1940s Batman movie serial]]. |
| 56 | * The OpeningNarration to ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse'' shows the events of Creator/SamRaimi's ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy''. The movie gives it a BroadStrokes approach with Peter having blond hair, artificial web shooters and the general AlternateUniverse nature of the setting. The Peter Parker [[AlternateSelf one dimension over]] even has a history similar to the plot in a script Raimi turned down to make into a fourth film. |
| 57 | * ''WesternAnimation/DCAnimatedMovieUniverse'': |
| 58 | ** ''WesternAnimation/SuicideSquadHellToPay'' proves to be a sequel to ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueTheFlashpointParadox'', whose stinger started the universe, as the Professor Zoom seen in ''Hell to Pay'' is in fact the same Zoom who appeared in ''Flashpoint'', using his powers to keep himself alive while he looks for the "Get Out of Hell" card. |
| 59 | ** The redo of the ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman'' duology, ''WesternAnimation/TheDeathOfSuperman'' and ''WesternAnimation/ReignOfTheSupermen'', is ultimately a sequel to ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueWar'' as [[ComicBook/SupermanDoomsdayHunterPrey Bertron]] and [[ComicBook/WarWorld Mon]][[ComicBook/ForTheManWhoHasEverything gul]] [[AdaptedOut are both replaced by]] ComicBook/{{Darkseid}} [[CompositeCharacter in the respective roles of Doomsday's creator and the backer of Cyborg-Superman]]. |
| 60 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Tomorrowverse}}'': |
| 61 | ** ''WesternAnimation/GreenLanternBewareMyPower'' follows up on the end of the ''WesternAnimation/DCShowcaseAdamStrange'' short that came with ''WesternAnimation/DCShowcaseBatmanDeathInTheFamily''. Aside from Adam having an identical appearance (sporting a BeardOfSorrow and worn spacesuit) and backstory (losing his wife and child in a war between Rann and Thanagar) in both, the ending of the short has Adam entering a Zeta Beam and he makes his first appearance in the movie exiting a Zeta Beam onto a different planet. |
| 62 | ** ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueCrisisOnInfiniteEarths Part One'' [[spoiler:reveals that the entire ''Tomorrowverse'' is a Stealth Sequel to the ''WesternAnimation/DCAnimatedMovieUniverse''. Both John Constantine and the Specter return from ''WesternAnimation/DCShowcaseConstantineTheHouseOfMystery'', with the former revealing that the ''Tomorrowverse'' Flash is the ''DCAMU'' Flash and that his actions were responsible for the current crisis]]. |
| 63 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife'' director Jorge R. Gutierrez says that it's a prequel to ''WesternAnimation/ElTigreTheAdventuresOfMannyRivera''. La Muerte and Xibalba are the parents of Sartana of The Dead. |
| 64 | * While not confirmed, ''WesternAnimation/PenguinsOfMadagascar'' ends in a way that seems to connect the events of the trilogy with the non-canonical [[WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar Nickelodeon cartoon]], heavily implying it's a Prequel to the show. [[spoiler: The Penguins abandon the Circus Zaragoza at the beginning and their last scene involves the Penguins flying around the Statue of Liberty (the show happens with the Penguins living in the Central Park Zoo), and King Julien uses his original crown in TheStinger, like he uses in the show but not in the sequels.]] |
| 65 | * ''WesternAnimation/PussInBootsTheLastWish'' is of course a sequel to [[WesternAnimation/PussInBoots2011 the first film starring the eponymous feline]] but unlike his predecessor [[spoiler: is not a prequel but a ''sequel'' to the {{Franchise/Shrek}} main series and even ends with a SequelHook with Puss, Kitty, and Perrito going to visit Far Far Away.]] The advertising even changed one of the deaths of the movie to avert revealing that [[spoiler: Puss knows Gingy already.]] |
| 66 | [[/folder]] |
| 67 | |
| 68 | [[folder:Films — Live-Action]] |
| 69 | * Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/AliceInWonderland2010'' isn't too stealthy about it since Alice is older, but she starts off her adventure in nearly the same way as [[Literature/AliceInWonderland the original book]]. A viewer could assume it's a DarkerAndEdgier version until a scene where, while Alice is struggling with changing size, the Dodo remarks, "You'd think she'd remember all of this from the first time." |
| 70 | * ''Film/StarTrek2009'' functions as both this and [[ContinuityReboot a reboot]] with [[spoiler:Spock having arrived from the original timeline to provide continuity]]. The main stealth part comes from the fact that the movie is not a full reboot, but rather an AlternateTimeline [[spoiler:created by the BigBad's accidental alteration of the past, generating a new parallel space-time continuum]] that bypasses each of the preceding movies and shows except for [[Series/StarTrekEnterprise one]]. It also offers a conclusion to the Federation's conflict with the Romulan Empire, which had been gradually developing for over 40 years since ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''. [[spoiler:8 years after ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'', just as the Federation is finally on the verge of peace with the Romulans, [[ShootTheShaggyDog their home planet's star goes supernova and billions die, reigniting tensions all over again]]]]. |
| 71 | * ''Film/TheThing2011'' is both a prequel and a veeerrry subtle remake of [[Film/TheThing1982 the original 1982 film]]. It was initially advertised as a remake until viewers saw that the plot points indicated that this took place prior to the events of the 1982 film and it's mostly confirmed by the ending. |
| 72 | * ''Film/Catwoman2004'' is a stealth sequel to the ''Batman'' films, notably ''Film/BatmanReturns''. Her origin is identical to the one played by Michelle Pfeiffer, the Catwoman persona is said to be a LegacyCharacter, and in the pictures of former "Catwomen", we see Michelle Pfeiffer's. |
| 73 | * ''Basement Jack'' is a loose sequel to ''Evilution'', the two films featuring the same old apartment building and creepy manager and his equally creepy display room full of murderous artifacts, which he adds more weapons to at the end of both films (a vial of alien virus in ''Evilution'', and the eponymous character's sword in ''Basement Jack''). |
| 74 | * The ''Film/TwentyOneJumpStreet'' [[TheFilmOfTheSeries film]] is actually a sequel to the [[Series/TwentyOneJumpStreet original TV series]] [[spoiler:inducing SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome on Hanson and Penhall. Also, Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum) turns out to be the son of the late Capt. Richard Jenko from the show's first season.]] |
| 75 | * ''Film/CharliesAngels2000'' is implied to be a sequel to [[Series/CharliesAngels the show]] by having the same person play Charlie and by the sequel showing that these were not the first Angels. It is confirmed in ''Film/CharliesAngelsFullThrottle'' when Jaclyn Smith reprises her role as Kelly Garrett. |
| 76 | * ''Film/CurseOfChucky'' was initially marketed as a prequel, set between the Child’s Play 3 and Bride Of Chucky. Naturally, the twist halfway through the film reveals it’s a direct sequel to the previous installment. Given it was a Direct-To-DVD film, the twist would only have weight to hardcore fans who would have gone into the movie believing it to be a sequel. Casual fans would already assume it was. |
| 77 | * The ''Film/ScoobyDoo'' live-action movie takes place after the original series, as most of those villains re-appear in the sequel. |
| 78 | * The version of ''Film/Shaft2000'' played by Creator/SamuelLJackson is the original Shaft's nephew. And while we're talkin' 'bout ''Film/{{Shaft}}'', according to WordOfGod, [[Film/DjangoUnchained Django and Broomhilda]] are ancestors of both of them. |
| 79 | * Lots of weird behind-the-scenes drama resulted in ''Savage Vengeance'' being this to ''Film/ISpitOnYourGrave''. |
| 80 | * Likewise, ''Film/EvilDead2013'' was advertised as a remake of ''Film/TheEvilDead1981'', but TheStinger shows [[spoiler: an aged version of Ash Williams, the protagonist of the original trilogy]]. |
| 81 | ** Originally there was going to be a different post-credits scene which would have made this more explicit. [[spoiler: The original idea was that Mia, the FinalGirl, would be walking alone down a road while covered in blood from the encounter with the Deadites, only for an S-Mart truck to pull over next to her. The window would then roll down to reveal Ash, who would ask Mia if she needed help]]. |
| 82 | * [[Film/TheDarkTower2017 The film version]] of ''Literature/TheDarkTower'' is one to the books themselves, first hinted at when Creator/StephenKing tweeted an image of [[spoiler:the Horn of Gilead, which Roland gained in the final chapter of the final novel.]] |
| 83 | * The TwistEnding of ''Film/{{Split}}'' reveals it to be a a stealth sequel [[spoiler:to ''Film/{{Unbreakable}}'']]. |
| 84 | * While it was never officially announced as a sequel, ''Film/KungFuYoga'' appears to be one to ''Film/TheMyth'', both movies starring Jackie Chan and directed by Stanley Tong. This is further supported that Chan's character in both films having the same name and profession, along with the presence of the painting of Princess Ok-soo in his office. In fact, Chan himself has stated that ''Kung Fu Yoga'' is basically ''The Myth 2''. |
| 85 | * A variation: while ''Film/BlairWitch'' was quite obviously a sequel to ''Film/TheBlairWitchProject'', it was initially marketed as a standalone horror film titled ''The Woods'', with no indication that it was part of that franchise. Its actual title and connection to the original were only revealed less than two months before it premiered, at an early screening at San Diego Comic-Con. |
| 86 | * Creator/DannyBoyle implied in the commentary for ''Film/{{Trainspotting}}'' that Keith Allen's drug dealer character is the same one he played in ''Film/ShallowGrave'', making ''Trainspotting'' a prequel. |
| 87 | * Joanna Barnes, who played the dad's girlfriend Vicki in ''Film/{{The Parent Trap|1961}}'', played the girlfriend's mother in [[Film/TheParentTrap1998 the remake]], also named Vicki implying the remake could actually be a sequel. |
| 88 | * After discussing a fan theory that ''Film/GetOut2017'' was a sequel to ''Film/BeingJohnMalkovich'' with Creator/CatherineKeener playing the same character in both movies, directors Creator/SpikeJonze and Creator/JordanPeele [[AscendedFanon decided it was canon]]. |
| 89 | * ''Film/PokemonDetectivePikachu'' is revealed to take place [[spoiler:''20 years'' after the events of ''Anime/PokemonTheFirstMovie'', which features the very same Mewtwo who escaped from a Kanto lab and was taught by a boy and his Pikachu that not all humans are bad.]] |
| 90 | * The Crimson Bolt from ''Film/{{Super}}'' cameos during a PostCreditsScene in ''Film/{{Brightburn}}''. |
| 91 | * Adult versions of Jaime and Carlos from ''Film/TheDevilsBackbone'' appear as soldiers in ''Film/PansLabyrinth''. |
| 92 | ** ''Film/{{Cronos}}'', another del Toro film, has the minor characters Tito the Coroner and the Funeral Director, who reappear in the 2010 film ''Somos lo que hay'' played by the same actors and repeating their main gag. |
| 93 | * ''Film/TheNinthConfiguration'' is William Peter Blatty 's stealth sequel to ''Film/TheExorcist''. The main character is astronaut Captain Cutshaw, who (without being named) appears as minor character in ''Film/TheExorcist'' (i.e. as the astronaut who is told that he's going to die alone in space by the possessed [=Regan McNeill=]). |
| 94 | * ''Film/FinalDestination'': |
| 95 | ** [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Supposed to happen]] in ''Film/FinalDestination3''. The original script had Wendy meeting with Kimberly and Officer Burke, the survivors from ''Film/FinalDestination2'', in the epilogue, where they all meet their end during the train accident. This was scrapped in favor of a newspaper showing that the two died in an offscreen woodchipper accident. Which was ''also'' scrapped in the theatrical cut, as the scene where the newspaper is shown exists only in the director's cut. |
| 96 | ** An interesting variation with ''Film/FinalDestination5'', as there was no question about it being directly linked with the rest of the franchise. What the filmmakers managed to conceal until the ending of this film, however, is that it actually is a ''prequel to the entire franchise'' and not a sequel to its preceding installment as could be logically assumed. It is revealed to take place before ''Film/FinalDestination'' as the two survivors board the plane where the cast of the first movie were forced out before the plane takes off and blows up. |
| 97 | * Creator/PaulWSAnderson says in the commentary for ''Film/DeathRace'' that he considers it a prequel to ''Film/DeathRace2000'' rather than a remake. There must be BroadStrokes involved as it's set 12 years after the original. |
| 98 | * The climax of ''Film/{{Underwater}}'' reveals that the film is set in ''Franchise/TheCthulhuMythos'', and that Cthulhu himself of the master of the FishPeople attacking the drilling station. |
| 99 | * The final scene of the 2019 film ''Film/TheDawn'' reveals that it is a prequel to ''Film/{{The Amityville Horror|1979}}''. |
| 100 | * Due to creative trailers, it was initially believed that ''Film/JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle'' was going to be an updated reboot of the Creator/RobinWilliams' [[Film/{{Jumanji}} classic]], with the premise of a magical board game being replaced with a video game that sucked in the players and made them into their character avatars. [[spoiler:The first few minutes of the movie established that it actually takes place some time after the first film, with the game, having realized that people [[WhatAreRecords had grown out of interest with board games in favor of game consoles]], transformed itself into a game cartridge in order to continue drawing people in. To further establish this, at one point in the movie, the characters came upon a hut where it was inscribed "Alan Perish was here"]]. |
| 101 | * At first glance, ''Film/ParanormalActivity: The Marked Ones'' doesn't seem to be connected to the mainline films beyond brand name. Until young Katie and Kristi from the third film make a surprising cameo, while Ali Rey, a character from the second film, appears later on to warn the main characters about Jesse's condition. The ending reveals that the demon can create a time travel portal, which is how Katie and Kristi appeared in the present as children, while Hector unwittingly goes back in time to 2006 San Diego, where he witnesses Katie's possession and Micah's murder, meaning he is present in the first film's climax, but offscreen. |
| 102 | * Film/TheConjuringUniverse: |
| 103 | ** ''Film/AnnabelleCreation'' doesn't specify its place in the timeline until near the end. Janice, by now possessed by the demon, gets adopted by a couple from California and becomes [[Film/{{Annabelle}} Annabelle Higgins]]. |
| 104 | ** ''Film/TheCurseOfLaLlorona'' seems like a standalone film until Father Perez appears and advises Anna about his experiences in the supernatural (namely, Annabelle). According to Warner Bros. itself, the connection merely serves as an easter egg, as it doesn't consider the film to be a proper installment in the franchise. |
| 105 | * As shown in TheReveal, half of ''Film/{{Jigsaw}}'' is a prequel to the previous ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'' films. The game and the investigation are separated by ten years, and the former predates [[Film/SawI John Kramer's game with Adam Stanheight and Lawrence Gordon]], which is why he is still alive. |
| 106 | * The 1997 film adaptation of ''Series/McHalesNavy'' is initially framed as a modern take on the original series (which was a [[PeriodPiece period]] sitcom about a PT boat crew in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII), with the protagonist Quinton [=McHale=] reimagined as a (retired) modern-day US Navy officer living in the Caribbean. But it's eventually revealed that he's actually Quinton [=McHale=] '''Jr.''', the son of the protagonist of the original show. Creator/ErnestBorgnine shows up to reprise his old role as Quinton [=McHale=] Sr., who's now an admiral with the callsign "Cobra". Cobra's real name isn't revealed until near the end of the movie, which misled many viewers into believing that Borgnine's role was just a RemakeCameo. |
| 107 | [[/folder]] |
| 108 | |
| 109 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 110 | * Creator/BrandonSanderson, in ''Literature/TheCosmere'', made a stealth prequel with ''Literature/{{Warbreaker}}''. The book was published several years before ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'', but in [[Literature/WordsOfRadiance the second book]] of ''Stormlight'', two ''Warbreaker'' characters ([[spoiler:Vasher and Nightblood]]) appeared and a third ([[spoiler:Vivenna]]) shows up in ''Literature/{{Oathbringer}}''. Sanderson later said that he plotted out ''Stormlight'' first; ''Warbreaker'' was primarily written to have a place for those characters to be ''from''. In hindsight, several parts of ''Warbreaker'' foreshadow ''Stormlight'', such as the appearance of [=BioChromatic=] Breath paralleling [[{{Mana}} Stormlight]], and the sentient sword Nightblood being very similar to Shardblades. |
| 111 | * ''Literature/{{Cujo}}'' is gradually shown to be a sequel to ''Literature/TheDeadZone''. They both take place in Castle Rock (which became a recurring location in Creator/StephenKing's books), and feature some of the same characters, like Sheriff George Bannerman and a few of his deputies. The VillainousLegacy of [[SerialKiller Frank]] [[KillerCop Dodd]] serves as a subplot, with his ghost [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane possibly]] showing up, and Johnny Smith is mentioned a few times in Bannerman's narration. |
| 112 | * Although Iain Banks' ''Literature/SurfaceDetail'' is set in the same universe as the other ''[[Literature/TheCulture Culture]]'' novels, it only becomes apparent that it is a DistantFinale to [[spoiler:''Literature/UseOfWeapons'']] upon reading the ''very last word in the book.'' |
| 113 | * ''Literature/TheGiver'' has an AmbiguousEnding that leaves us unclear about the fate of Jonas and baby Gabriel. The novel ''Literature/GatheringBlue'' mentions someone who sounds a lot like him, though. WordOfGod originally said that it was up to the reader to decide if they were the same character, but it's heavily suggested in ''Literature/{{Messenger}}'' and confirmed in ''Literature/{{Son}}'' that they are. The four books are now marketed as ''The Giver Quartet.'' |
| 114 | * Creator/PeterSBeagle's ''Literature/TheInnkeepersSong'' includes an elderly wizard that in many ways seems to be an extremely old version of Schmendrick from Beagle's earlier (and more famous) book ''Literature/TheLastUnicorn''. This is never explicitly confirmed or denied, and when asked in person Beagle responds with a smile: "[[ShrugOfGod I don't know]]; what do ''you'' think?" |
| 115 | * Creator/DianaWynneJones' ''Literature/TheMerlinConspiracy'' is described on its own jacket blurb as being a stand-alone book, and its plot is not immediately familiar. However, reading further reveals that its main protagonist, Nick, is the same Nick from Jones' ''Literature/DeepSecret''. However, while ''The Merlin Conspiracy'' is a young adult book, ''Deep Secret'' was written for a more adult audience. |
| 116 | * H. R. F. Keating's 1980 crime novel ''The Murder of the Maharajah'', set in inter-war India, initially appears to be and was promoted as a stand-alone novel. However, the very last sentence reveals that a major, albeit unnamed, character, "the schoolmaster", is actually the father of Keating's long-running modern-day Bombay police detective protagonist, Inspector Ganesh Ghote. |
| 117 | * ''Literature/{{Skyward}}'' takes place in the same universe as Creator/BrandonSanderson's short story/novella [[spoiler:''Defending Elysium'']]. |
| 118 | * The ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' YA book series ''Literature/RebelForce'' can be considered this for the earlier ''Jedi Apprentice'', ''Jedi Quest'', and ''Last of the Jedi'' series. The two books share such characters as Ferus Olin, Lune Divinian, and possibly Trever Flume. It also ends the long-standing rivalry between Ferus and Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader that had been going on since Jedi Quest. |
| 119 | * ''Literature/TheBoyWithTheChainsawHeart'' is set in the same universe as ''Literature/IKnockedUpSatansDaughter'', but wasn't advertised as such since the two novels otherwise have very little in common - they share no characters, take place in very different parts of the setting, and have markedly different tones with the latter being an AffectionateParody of a romantic comedy while the former is a brutal, gory war story about fanaticism and injustice. |
| 120 | * ''Literature/TheContinentalOp:'' The story "The House in Turk Street" ends with the criminal gang either dead or arrested, except for the FemmeFatale Elvira. The last line of the story is the Op swearing he'll catch her some day. Then the story "The Girl with the Silver Eyes" is a seemingly unrelated case about a disappeared fiancee named Jeane Delano. When the Op finally catches up to Miss Delano, he gets a gnawing suspicion that he's met her before--and eventually recognizes her as Elvira in disguise. |
| 121 | [[/folder]] |
| 122 | |
| 123 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 124 | * The last episode of ''{{Series/Newhart}}'' revealed that the entire series was the dream of the protagonist from ''Series/TheBobNewhartShow''. |
| 125 | * The protagonist of the ''Series/KnightRider'' remake is the son of the protagonist of the original show.[[note]]However, this may or may not be a change that was made to the show after the fact.[[/note]] |
| 126 | * ''{{Series/Fargo}}'' appears to merely be a SpiritualSuccessor to [[Film/{{Fargo}} the film of the same name]] until we see a flashback wherein a character discovers the money that was hidden in the snow at the end of the film. |
| 127 | * ''Series/TinMan'' intentionally fools viewers into believing that it's a DarkerAndEdgier [[JustForFun/RecycledInSpace science fiction]] [[OffToSeeTheWizard retelling]] of ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'', with each of the main characters being a clear stand-in for a character in the original (the Scarecrow is a lobotomized MadScientist, the Tin Man is an ex-cop with a tin badge, Toto is a [[{{animorphism}} shapeshifting magician]], etc.). After TheReveal, though, we learn that the siblings DG and Azkadelia are actually Dorothy Gale's great-grandchildren, and that Azkadelia [[FaceHeelTurn turned to the dark side]] after being [[HijackedByGanon possessed by the spirit of the Wicked Witch of the West]]. |
| 128 | * The final episode of ''Series/HarrysLaw'' has Lisa Nicole Carson reprise her role as Renee Raddick from ''Series/AllyMcBeal'', placing the show in the same continuity as most of creator David E. Kelley's other shows, which most viewers had assumed it wasn't, given that several regulars from those shows (Mark Valley, Creator/CamrynManheim, Christian Clemenson) appear as different characters on this one. |
| 129 | * Done humorously at the DVD alternate ending to ''Series/BreakingBad'', which implied the entire series was the dream of Hal from ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'' as a homage to the ''Series/{{Newhart}}'' example. |
| 130 | * ''Series/TheExorcist'' doesn't seem to have ties with the films until episode five where Angela Rance, the mother of the possessed girl, reveals [[spoiler: she is Regan [=MacNeil=]]]. |
| 131 | * ''Series/ThePrisoner1967'' may or may not have been a follow-up to ''Series/DangerMan'' - there are certain hints that Number 6 is John Drake from ''Danger Man'', and one actor appears in both series playing characters with the same name. As one would expect with ''The Prisoner'', though, any connection is kept as ambiguous as possible. |
| 132 | * ''Series/KamenRiderAgito'' is an unusual case. The staff originally intended it to be a direct sequel to ''Series/KamenRiderKuuga'' and put threads in place like the G3 PoweredArmor being made from the data the Metro PD gathered from studying Kuuga, as well as the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Lords and Grongi]] being mortal enemies. However, the writers of ''Kuuga'' complained that introducing more monsters would render Yusuke's efforts meaningless and asked the ''Agito'' staff to reconsider. Eventually they decided to just leave it up to the viewer, letting them decide if the two shows are connected or if the references are just a MythologyGag. Later works like ''Series/KamenRiderDecade'' and the 2015 manga version of ''Kuuga'', however, are much more explicit that the two series are connected, to the point where the manga actually has ''Agito'' characters like Shoichi himself join the cast in later chapters. |
| 133 | * ''Series/KamenRiderZiO'' was originally presented as a SpiritualSuccessor to ''Series/KamenRiderDecade'', being a MilestoneCelebration CrisisCrossover with the rest of the ''Franchise/KamenRider'' franchise just as ''Decade'' was. But while most ''Rider'' series had cast members make guest appearances in ''Zi-O'', ''Decade''[='s=] Riders Tsukasa and Kaito got far more involved in the plot and were fully-fledged supporting characters by the final arc. |
| 134 | * ''Series/DirkGentlysHolisticDetectiveAgency'' is an InNameOnly adaptation of the ''Literature/DirkGently'' books but in the first episode, Dirk mentions dealing with a [[Literature/DirkGentlysHolisticDetectiveAgency sofa]] and the [[Literature/TheLongDarkTeaTimeOfTheSoul Norse God, Thor]] — implying that the books happened in the show's backstory, albeit in BroadStrokes. (The tie-in comics would later reveal that the show is an AlternateUniverse to the books' timeline.) |
| 135 | * ''Series/PowerRangersBeastMorphers'' was originally billed as a SpiritualSuccessor to ''Series/PowerRangersRPM''. [[spoiler: However, the "spiritual" part went out the window in the finale when it was revealed that BigBad Evox was actually [[ReturningBigBad Venjix]], the Big Bad of ''RPM'', [[NiceJobBreakingItHero unwittingly freed from Ranger Red's morpher by the Gold Ranger (Nate Silva)]] when he was younger. They even [[RoleReprise brought back]] ''RPM'''s mentor Doctor K to help Grid Battleforce figure out a way to defeat Venjix/Evox permanently.]] |
| 136 | * ''Series/TheMandalorian'' is a special case. While it's stated to take place after ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', for the most part, the show was rather self-contained with no ties to any previous ''Franchise/StarWars'' material. Once Gideon was revealed to have the Darksaber, however, it became clear that this was a live-action sequel to the Mandalorian storylines in ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' and ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'', especially once Bo-Katan appears in Season 2. Subverted in regards to the appearances of Boba Fett and Ahsoka Tano in the same season, as those ended up largely being setup for much less stealthy sequels: ''Series/TheBookOfBobaFett'' follows up on his "death" in ''Jedi'', and ''Series/{{Ahsoka}}'' is a full-on continuation of ''Rebels''. |
| 137 | * One episode of ''Series/MurderSheWrote'' served as a sequel to the obscure FilmNoir ''Strange Bargain'', complete with several of the actors reprising their roles. |
| 138 | * The 2019 TV show ''The Demon Headmaster'' initially appears to be a reboot and modern update of the 1996 show, both based on [[Literature/TheDemonHeadmaster the book series]] of the same name. But in a later episode the kids discover a spooky abandoned school which turns out to be the setting of the previous show, and find a note from Dinah Hunter, a former student now grown up and working for the secret service. This comes to a head in the finale when ''the original Demon Headmaster'' turns up, revealing the Demon Headmaster from the 2019 show to not only be a different character, but a mere minion rather than the BigBad. |
| 139 | * ''Series/StarTrekPicard'' starts off as a continuation of the adventures of the eponymous lead from ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' and a new crew under his command, working its way towards including all the previous ''TNG'' cast members. By Season 3, all of them have returned, and are preparing for a GrandFinale to give them all one epic send off. Except the threat of this season? [[spoiler:'''''The Dominion''''' from ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', or at least a splinter faction of Founders, preparing to take revenge on the Federation for their defeat years earlier, continuing on plot points from that series centered around its reunion from another.]] |
| 140 | ** Additionally, the finale reveals that [[spoiler:the rogue Founders are in a VillainTeamUp with none other than ''the Borg''. While the ''TNG'' crew has fought them several times, the Borg are now specifically out for revenge for what happened in the finale of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', where Janeway's crew managed to cripple and scatter the Collective.]] |
| 141 | * ''Series/TheWonderYears2021'' initially appears to be a ContinuityReboot of ''Series/TheWonderYears'' focusing on a middle-class black family during the 1960s instead of a white family. Then late in the first season, it's revealed that protagonist Dean Williams' older brother Bruce served in the same unit during UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar as Brian Cooper, the older brother of Winnie from the original show, meaning they both take place in the same continuity. |
| 142 | * The Ultra Galaxy Fight miniseries in the ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' all have endings that tie in to the New Generation Ultraman who's about to debut. |
| 143 | ** ''Series/UltraGalaxyFightNewGenerationHeroes'' ends with Ultraman Tregear revealing that he was behind everything that Zero and the New Generation Heroes had gone through, causing them to start chasing the Dark Ultra and setting up the start of ''Series/UltramanTaiga'' where they gave their Ultra Taiga Accessories to the Tri-Squad. |
| 144 | ** ''Series/UltraGalaxyFightTheAbsoluteConspiracy'' has Ultraman Zero use a Z Riser, and ends with Genegarg stealing another Z Riser and the Ultra Medals that Hikari had been working on. Zero and Z leave to give chase, setting up the start of ''Series/UltramanZ''. |
| 145 | ** ''Series/UltraGalaxyFightTheDestinedCrossroad'' ends with Absolute Tartarus, Absolute Diavolo, and Ultraman Ribut trapped in the world of ''Series/UltramanTriggerNewGenerationTiga'', setting up their appearance in the fourteenth episode of the series. |
| 146 | * ''Series/HowIMetYourFather'' was advertised as little more than a [[GenderFlip gender-flipped]] version of ''Series/HowIMetYourMother''. However at the end of the pilot, it is revealed that Sid and Jesse live in Ted, Marshall, and Lily's old apartment. The Captain and Becky later make cameos and in the finale, [[spoiler:Sophie meets Robin at the [=MacLaren=]'s Pub.]] |
| 147 | * ''Series/TheWinchesters'' was marketed as a prequel to ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' about Sam and Dean's parents, but early episodes feature glaring retcons and continuity errors. For starters, it has John and Mary fighting supernatural creatures together while it was previously established that John didn't learn about the supernatural until after Mary's death. It's eventually revealed [[spoiler: as a separate world that's part of the ''Supernatural'' multiverse and takes place chronologically ''after'' the original series, with a resurrected Dean observing and narrating the events]]. |
| 148 | * ''Series/OhsamaSentaiKingOhger'' has the King-Ohgers stranded on earth during episodes 32 and 33, where not only do they team up with the [[Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger Kyoryugers]], but it's also revealed that the six original heroes of Tikyū were from Earth all along. |
| 149 | [[/folder]] |
| 150 | |
| 151 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 152 | * Music/{{Eminem}}'s "Bad Guy" from ''The Marshall Mathers LP 2'' begins very much like a typical MurderBallad of Slim Shady plotting to kill someone he knew, but as it progresses, the narrator is actually revealed to be Matthew, the brother of [[LoonyFan Stan]] from the infamous namesake song in the first ''Marshall Mathers LP''. The song takes a sharp detour as it details Matthew kidnapping Eminem himself out of revenge for ruining Stan's life, ending in a police chase and [[HistoryRepeats yet another murder-suicide]]. |
| 153 | * The video for Music/PanicAtTheDisco's "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVXauWq9Hwg Say Amen]]" ends with the same loud heartbeat that "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGE381tbQa8 This is Gospel]]" starts with. WordOfGod confirms that it's a prequel to it and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qFF2v8VsaA Emperor's New Clothes]]." |
| 154 | * Music/TheSmashingPumpkins' 2000 two-part album ''Machina'' (''The Machines of God'' and ''The Friends & Enemies of God'') was initally not envisioned to be a sequel to their 1995 album ''Music/MellonCollieAndTheInfiniteSadness'' before frontman Billy Corgan [[WordOfGod confirmed]] in 2018 that the album's main protagonist Glass and ''Mellion Collie'''s Zero are meant to be the same character and Glass would rename himself as Shiny in the 2022-23 three-part sequel album ''Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts''. |
| 155 | [[/folder]] |
| 156 | |
| 157 | [[folder:Theatre]] |
| 158 | * Reynaldo Hahn's 1926 French operetta ''Ciboulette'' turns out to be a Stealth Sequel to ''Theatre/LaBoheme.'' Duparquet, the middle-aged man who plays matchmaker to the principle young lovers, is eventually revealed to be Rodolfo; he helps the lovers so they won't have to lose each other the way he lost [[TheLostLenore Mimí.]] |
| 159 | [[/folder]] |
| 160 | |
| 161 | [[folder:WebAnimation]] |
| 162 | * ''WebAnimation/{{Lackadaisy}}'', the long-awaited AnimatedAdaptation of the webcomic of the same name, (and the reason for the latter's infamous ScheduleSlip) is actually a ''sequel'', with a TimeSkip of a mere three-and-a-half months in the comic's future. The comic begins in earnest around [[https://lackadaisy.com/comic.php?comicid=3 May 21st, 1927]]. On hiatus while the animation was in development, its recent strips have {{Venturous Smuggler}}s Rocky, Freckle and Ivy making their debut as a whiskey-runners for a probationary supplier, while speakeasy saxophonist Zib and ProfessionalKiller Mordecai concurrently realize through a police station encounter and mob informant grapevine that the feds are newly arrived in town. An open day planner on a station desk places these events no later than ''[[https://lackadaisy.com/comic.php?comicid=146 May 31st of that year]].'' The PilotMovie takes place in mid-September 1927, as referenced by [[GoodGuyBar speakeasy]] owner Mitzi May reading, out loud, a passage from Isadora Duncan's obituary. (Her real-life scarf-induced tragicomic death occurred September 14, 1927.) By then, Rocky and company are a slightly less green CaperCrew, the supplier is now a regular, underworld figures treat the Feds presence as [[AsYouKnow common knowledge]], and Zib, booked for public drunkeness and in jail for a two-month stint in-comic, is out amongst 'em and soused as ever. |
| 163 | [[/folder]] |
| 164 | |
| 165 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 166 | * For quite a long time, Black Ops Civil Service webcomic ''Webcomic/SkinHorse'' by Jeff Wells and Shaenon Garrity looked to be the spiritual successor to Garrity's earlier Mad Science comic ''Webcomic/{{Narbonic}}'', but readers suspected it was actually a sequel. It was three and a half years before the connection was officially made. The actual degree of continued story is pretty marginal, but WordOfGod confirms the connection was planned from the beginning and not just AscendedFanon. |
| 167 | * Creator/JenniferDianeReitz's ''Webcomic/PastelDefenderHeliotrope'' was revealed about halfway through the story to be connected to the author's earlier comic ''Webcomic/UnicornJelly''. |
| 168 | [[/folder]] |
| 169 | |
| 170 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 171 | * ''Fanfic/ABrightFlash'' turns out be [[spoiler:a prequel to ''Film/Godzilla1954'', from the POV of Godzilla himself]]. |
| 172 | * After the events of ''WebVideo/ToBoldlyFlee'', WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic series ended with the titular character AscendingToAHigherPlaneOfExistence and Creator/DougWalker decided to go on to film new content, including a show called ''WebVideo/DemoReel''. When the latter proved to be mostly unsuccessful, and Doug decided that he wasn't done with the critic just yet, he made an episode where it was revealed that something went wrong with the Critic's ascent and he ended up being trapped in purgatory as Donnie [=DuPre=], the main character of Demo Reel. |
| 173 | * "Just Me In The House By Myself", the first episode of the webseries ''Dryvrs'', stars Macauley Culkin. It is a sequel to the two first ''Film/HomeAlone'' movies, in which Kevin [=McCallister=] is shown having grown into a ''very'' dysfunctional adult. |
| 174 | * In the ending segment of ''Literature/WhoSays'', it is established that [[PurgatoryAndLimbo Limbo]] was originally a TruceZone in the afterlife before "[[Literature/DantesInfanzia The Dante Incident]]" started an arms race between Heaven and Hell to produce Innocence to use it as a power source. |
| 175 | * ''WebVideo/TheMonumentMythos'' ends up being a [[spoiler:prequel to ''WebVideo/CornerFolklore'', another series on ALEXKANSAS' channel]]. |
| 176 | * ''WebVideo/StacheBros'': "Mario & Luigi! Stache Bros - The Stachey Sequel" is revealed to take place [[spoiler:before the events of ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'']] in "Episode 2-10 - Bravo Bowser". |
| 177 | [[/folder]] |
| 178 | |
| 179 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 180 | * ''WesternAnimation/MiloMurphysLaw'' was regularly stated by WordOfGod to be one to ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', with the characters of the two shows [[CanonWelding living in the same county]]. After a number of call backs and nods spread throughout the show's first season, the connection became explicit in the season one finale, where [[spoiler:[[IneffectualSympatheticVillain Doofenshmirtz]] is revealed to potentially be the inventor of the TimeTravel technology regularly used in ''Milo Murphy's Law'']]. Following a crossover special that built upon this revelation, the latter show's characters began to make regular appearances. |
| 181 | * ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls2016'' is a SoftReboot of ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'' but also has aspects of being a sequel, albeit with BroadStrokes, such as taking place in the 2010s instead of the 2000s. For example, there are episodes explaining why the girls attend a new elementary school instead of Pokey Oaks and why Ms. Bellum is no longer assisting the Mayor. |
| 182 | * ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'' mostly seems to be an AlternateContinuity to any other ''Scooby-Doo'' cartoon, with some BroadStrokes indicating similar events had happened. Then the series finale has the ancient evil beneath Crystal Cove being RetGone, leaving the gang in an alternate timeline where the only other one who remembers the difference is Creator/HarlanEllison, because he remembers ''every'' alternate timeline. He then explains [[ArcWords "This has all happened before"]], it's just unusual for them to remember it, and they end up going on [[WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooWhereAreYou a cross-country mystery-solving roadtrip]]--complete with LaughTrack. The implication is that every work in the ''[[CanonWelding entire franchise]]'' has been the result of multiple {{Cosmic Retcon}}s of the same sort of they had just caused. |
| 183 | * ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' was originally another mostly self-contained installment of the ''Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse'', in this case showing events in the galaxy in-between the first two trilogies. However, as it went on, it quickly proved to be a direct sequel to ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'', picking up on several hanging plot threads left over from that series, including the fates of [[spoiler:Ahsoka Tano, Captain Rex, and Darth Maul]]. |
| 184 | * ''WesternAnimation/InfinityTrain:'' The advertising for the fourth season didn't indicate that its story would be a prequel, but it's set in the late 1980s, with [[spoiler:Amelia's takeover]] happening in the background of Ryan and Min-gi's adventure. |
| 185 | * ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTimeDistantLands:'' The first special focuses on [[RobotBuddy BMO]], and until the very end we don't see any other established characters[[note]](Mr. M is implied to be [[ArchnemesisDad Martin]], but it's not confirmed)[[/note]]. When BMO returns to Earth he sees [[TheHero Finn]] as a kid and a teenage [[TheLancer Jake]], revealing that this was a prequel. |
| 186 | ** The other three specials are all sequels to ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime,'' which isn't a surprise, but the DayInTheLimelight format with so many [[TheAgeless unaging characters]] gave the creators room for surprises. It's only near the end of "Obsidian" that we see [[spoiler:Finn as an adult]], while "Together Again" is set [[spoiler:after he's [[DeadToBeginWith died as an old man]]]], a fact hidden for the first few minutes. |
| 187 | * ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekProdigy'' initially served as a spin-off to ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' with nods to previous instalments along with a holograph of Captain Janeway being one of the main characters. However, as it went on, it quickly proved to be a direct sequel to ''Voyager'', picking up on plot threads from that series. |
| 188 | * Overlapping with CanonWelding, the ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' episode "Encounter Upon the Razor's Edge!" acts as one to ''WesternAnimation/GreenLanternTheAnimatedSeries''. In said episode, [[spoiler:Razer makes his return wielding the Blue Lantern Ring that came to him at the series finale. At the end of the episode, Razer combines both his Blue ring and his old Red ring into a new form where he wields the powers of both Rage and Hope before returning to his quest to find Aya]]. |
| 189 | [[/folder]] |
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