Summary

• Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead franchise has been quietly canceled, leaving its future grim.
• Snyder can connect his Rebel Moon project to revive the lore of the Army-Verse.
• The difficult task of a crossover between the two franchises is not impossible, but it is challenging.

One of reports of Snyder's Army of the Dead franchise being scrapped, the future of the writer/director's horror universe looks pretty grim. However, Snyder still has another active property at Netflix that I think could be pivotal in saving his current project as well as increasing the profile of his most recently canceled franchise. It's possible the plan may not be enough, but I believe it's Snyder's best hope.

Known as the Army-verse, Snyder's two zombie movies were intended to be a sprawling saga, and the news of its cancelation means certain installments will now likely never see the light of day. Snyder is no stranger to franchises and sequels, but his direct involvement is often relatively short when compared to some of his peers. That being said, one of his own declarations pertaining to his two Netflix franchises could change that.

Snyder's Army Of The Dead & Rebel Moon Shared Universe Is How To Save The Franchises

Zack Snyder can still tell parts of the Army-Verse story in Rebel Moon

Snyder has teased that, despite their disparate genres, his Army-Verse franchise is set within the same universe as Rebel Moon. The filmmaker has revealed the character in Rebel Moon who connects the space opera to the Army-verse. However, with the figure in question appearing only in a scrapped animated Army-Verse project, the connection with Rebel Moon remains as speculative as ever. On the other hand, I believe Snyder gets the final say on whether they share a canon, so it appears they do. As such, an official crossover could stoke the interest required to save them both.

Luckily, Snyder's declaration of a shared universe with Rebel Moon means he can still revive the Army-Verse's lore within the space opera, which I think could be very cool.

Although Rebel Moon 3 is seemingly confirmed, the reception of the first two entries (four, counting the extended cuts) has been lukewarm. Critics and fans haven't taken too ionately to Rebel Moon, and I agree that the franchise has been pretty underwhelming and unoriginal so far. Of the two Snyder Netflix franchises, I would have thought the Army-verse would run for longer, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Luckily, Snyder's declaration of a shared universe with Rebel Moon means he can still revive the Army-Verse's lore within the space opera, which I think could be very cool.

Why Rebel Moon Addressing The Army-Verse Is So Difficult

Both Netflix franchises are set very far apart from each other

Zack Snyder saying the Army-Verse and Rebel Moon are set within the same continuity is one thing, but the two franchises ever having the chance of a meaningful crossover is incredibly difficult. Pulling it off would require some very creative writing, but I suppose it's not impossible. The biggest obstacle is the fact that the Army-Verse is set on Earth and very slightly in the future, whereas Rebel Moon takes place a huge distance away from the solar system and very far into the distant future.

Snyder has explained that the zombie virus that has taken hold on Earth in the Army-verse movies has its origin on a planet within Rebel Moon lore.

So, there's little chance that any characters from either franchise - at least the human ones - could ever meet. Speaking with Comic Book, Snyder has explained that the zombie virus that has taken hold on Earth in the Army-verse movies has its origin on a planet within Rebel Moon lore - even if it hasn't yet been seen onscreen. Interestingly, Snyder does seem to have a plan in place that could connect the two franchises: "There's an interdimensional thing they go through, so there is a chance of some weird mashup." This loose framework may be the Army-Verse's only hope.

The Future Of Zack Snyder's Netflix Franchises Is Not Looking Good

Rebel Moon's poor reception could mean it s the Army-Verse on the chopping block

Snyder's ambitious approach to both of his Netflix franchises may not have paid off in either respect. With just two Army-Verse movies being made, Zack Snyder's attempt to develop the franchise further has already apparently failed, with Netflix pulling the plug on subsequent movies and TV shows under the Army-Verse banner. If he's particularly unfortunate, Snyder could have Rebel Moon bite the dust as well.

Similarly to the Army-Verse, there are still just two Rebel Moon movies - although they've both already received the Snyder Cut treatment. Unfortunately, the longer editions of the first two installments don't appear to have fixed many of the gripes that fans and critics had with the original versions - they're just R-rated and far longer. Their streaming figures also aren't living up to the originals either. Regardless, there's still no official confirmation from Netflix that Rebel Moon will continue or get canceled, with Zack Snyder being the only figure to declare a third movie is in the works.

Source: Comic Book