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Crossover <TAG1> is an artistic technique in which characters, locations or events from different, usually independent, works meet in the same plot space. In film and literature, crossover refers to the union of different universes or storylines, creating a new story in which characters interact that do not normally intersect. It can be both a union of characters from different works by the same author, and a meeting of characters from completely different franchises, sometimes even genres.
Crossovers are like official, authorized by the rights holders and implemented within the same company or studio, as well as unofficial <TAG1> created by fans in the form of fanfiction or fan art.
Crossovers in literature
In literature, crossovers were found even before the appearance of the term itself. One early example of a — novel «Mesmerian novel» Theophilus Gauthier (1832), in which characters from other works of Romanticism appear. Also among the examples are works in which authors, on their own initiative, allow characters from one novel to appear in another. For example, in the work of William Faulkner or Stephen King, many stories take place in the same fictional district or universe, and the characters intersect in different books.
Fans create whole worlds where Harry Potter can meet Batman or heroes Hungry games intersect with characters Divergent. Such fan crossovers are often published on platforms such as Archive of Our Own (AO3) or Wattpad.
Crossovers in the cinema
In cinema, crossovers became especially popular in the 21st century, with the development of large-scale franchises. The most famous are:
- Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU): an example of a well-structured universe where each film can act as an independent story, but at the same time include characters from previous or subsequent films. For example, «Avengers» <TAG1> is a crossover of heroes from individual films: Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, etc.
- DC Extended Universe (DCEU): crossovers between films about Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and other heroes.
- «Freddy vs. Jason» (2003): A cult horror crossover where characters from two different horror movie series — meet A Nightmare on Elm Street i Friday the 13th.
- «Godzilla vs. Kong» (2021): An example of the merger of two large cinematic universes within the MonsterVerse.
- «Spider-Man: No Way Home» (2021): An iconic crossover that brought together three versions of Spider-Man (Toby Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland), creating a meta-universe with references to previous franchises.
Reasons for the popularity of crossovers
- Nostalgia and recognition — viewers like to see familiar characters in new circumstances.
- The expansion of the — crossover universe allows you to explore the fictional world more deeply, adding new connections between stories.
- Marketing and profit — combining several well-known franchises attracts a wider audience and increases box office or readership.
- Creative freedom — authors get to play with the canon, creating new combinations of plots and characters.
Crossovers in series and television
Crossovers are actively used in television series. An example is the so-called «Arrowverse» <TAG1> DC television universe where characters from series «Arrow», «Flash», «Legends of tomorrow» i «Supergirl» regularly appear in each other's series.
Another example is crossovers in animation: «Simpsons» crossed with Futurama i Griffins, creating comedy episodes with the joint participation of the characters.
So, the crossover — is a powerful artistic tool that allows creators to experiment, expand fictional worlds and impress the public with unexpected plot mergers. It has become an integral part of modern culture, especially during the era of franchises and multiverses. Due to their flexibility and potential for unexpected plot moves, crossovers remain popular with both fans and content creators.
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