Fox owns several venerable sci-fi franchises, most of which have struggled to one extent or another. Fox’s attempt to combine Predator and Aliens produced a couple lackluster movies, which were then contradicted by Ridley Scott’s Alien prequels. In sum, these properties are mostly languishing (to one degree or another), while Fox had problems managing continuity within franchises, let alone in its one attempt to combine two franchises.
The “Fox Sci-Fi Universe”, listed below, is an attempt to combine these Fox franchises anew, along with other Fox material. Fox has an extensive catalogue of classic films and series which would fit well, many of which haven’t gotten the attention they deserve. I think ,erging them into a single continuity would reinvigorate each film or property, making it part of a tapestry that encourages fans to draw connections and to explore material they otherwise might not.
In addition, Disney’s acquisition of Fox would permit Disney to merge some of its own sci-fi films, including franchises that have struggled on their own. Tron might not be successful on its own, but it could now be an interesting segment of a larger universe, with its world and technology available to characters from other stories.
Key to this strategy is to merge as much compatible material as possible, with special attention to quality material and material produced from the 1980s onward (which looks modern enough). Some quality movies are incompatible, for one reason or another. We can reject any movie we want, and the below list is subject to change. But in general, we don’t want to be purists, only incorporating the very best. We want to incorporate the best works, but we also want to be as all-encompassing as possible, so as to produce a grand tapestry spanning centuries of history.
An impressive body of work containing multiple beloved series and characters, the Fox Sci-Fi Universe contains material directed by Steven Spielberg, Joss Whedon, Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Cronenberg, Guillermo del Toro, and David Fincher.
One key franchise here might not be obvious: The X-Files, which retains a certain cache and which is perfect for such an expansive sci-fi universe because of its expansive scope. If you think about it, there’s no reason why Mulder and Scully couldn’t have investigated the VR world of Tron, the teleportation technology of The Fly, or reports of the murderous alien from Predator.
Chronologically prior to The X-Files, the Indiana Jones franchise fits well. Like The X-Files, it’s episodic and less concerned with a single, coherent version of the supernatural or of extraterrestrials than creating an exciting, all-encompassing world in which fantastic stories can be set.
Moving chronologically into the future, the dominant franchise is Aliens, which has the benefit of rarely depicting Earth, permitting us more freedom in terms of a consistent depiction humanity’s future. Beyond Aliens lies Firefly, which is also largely vague about Earth.
Moving forward, material set in the Fox Sci-Fi Universe can incorporate characters and ideas from other properties. Companies should be connected to one another; for example, Bartok Science Industries (from The Fly) could be purchased by Weyland Corporation (from Aliens), and we could learn that the Bartok teleportation technology was an important predecessors to Weyland’s own technology. Similarly, various government agents can be retroactively seen as predecessors or successors to the X-Files program.
The following is a timeline of the Fox Si-Fi Universe. As previously stated, it’s subject to change; movies can be added or removed relatively freely, at least until new installments explicitly place them in continuity. To help set them apart, TV series appear in red.
Era 1: Indiana Jones (1908-1962)
This era essentially contains all material set in the past, relative to its actual date of production.
1908-1920: The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (28 episodes across 2 seasons, 1992-1993)
1935: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
1936: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
1938: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
1938: The Rocketeer (1991) – assuming Disney owns the film rights in perpetuity
1957: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
1962: The Shape of Water (2017)
Era 2: The X-Files (1982-2018)
This era contains all material set in the present, relative to its actual date of production.
1982: Tron (1982)
1986: The Fly (1986) – features Bartok Science Industries, which funds Brundle’s research
1987: The Fly II (1989) – set about nine months after the first film, we might want to eliminate this film in favor of an alternate sequel (such as one directed by Cronenberg, which has been discussed over the years and which could now reference other material from this shared universe)
1987: Predator (1987)
1989: The Abyss (1989)
1993-1994: The X-Files, season 1 (24 episodes, 1993-1994)
1994-1995: The X-Files, season 2 (25 episodes, 1994-1995)
1995-1996: The X-Files, season 3 (24 episodes, 1995-1996)
1996-1997: The X-Files, season 4 (24 episodes, 1996-1997) and Millennium, season 1 (22 episodes, 1996-1997)
1997-1998: The X-Files, season 5 (20 episodes, 1997-1998) and Millennium, season 2 (23 episodes, 1997-1998)
1998: The X-Files: Fight the Future (1998) – the first X-Files movie (sometimes simply called The X-Files), set between seasons 5 and 6
1998-1999: The X-Files, season 6 (22 episodes, 1998-1999) and Millennium, season 3 (22 episodes, 1998-1999)
1999-2000: The X-Files, season 7 (22 episodes, 1999-2000) – includes “Millennium,” wrapping up Millennium
2000-2001: The X-Files, season 8 (21 episodes, 2000-2001) and The Lone Gunmen (13 episodes, 2001)
2001-2002: The X-Files, season 9 (20 episodes, 2001-2002) – includes “Jump the Shark,” wrapping up The Lone Gunmen
Uncertain: Tron: Uprising (19 half-hour animated episodes, 2012-2013) – set before Tron: Legacy
2008: The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008)
2010: Predators (2010) – features a group of humans on a Predator hunting planet and ends with them still stuck there; connected material also includes two 2010 short films, “Moments of Extraction” and “Crucified”
2010: Tron: Legacy (2010)
2016: The X-Files, season 10 (6 episodes, 2016)
2018: The X-Files, season 11 (10 episodes, 2016)
2018: The Predator (2018) – features a battle with Predators in American suburbia
Era 3: Aliens (2023-2381)
This era takes place in the future, from the late 21st century to the 24th century.
2023: “The Peter Weyland Files: TED Conference, 2023” (2012) – a 7-minute short film in which a young Peter Weyland gives a TED Talk
2079: “The Peter Weyland Files: Happy Birthday, David” (2012) – a 3-minute short film in which David explains what he thinks about and what makes him sad
2089: portions of Prometheus (2012) are set here; specifically, after the opening sequence (in which the Engineers seed life on Earth), archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw and Charlie Holloway discover a star map in Scotland that matches others from several unconnected ancient cultures, which they interpret as an invitation from humanity's forerunners, the "Engineers"; Peter Weyland, the elderly CEO of Weyland Corporation, funds an expedition, aboard the scientific vessel Prometheus, to follow the map to the distant moon LV-223
2089: “The Peter Weyland Files: Quiet Eye, Elizabeth Shaw” (2012) – a 3-minute short film consisting of a video call from Shaw to Weyland, introducing herself and her findings
2091: “The Peter Weyland Files: 'Prometheus' Transmission” (2012) – a 7-minute short collection of pre-mission interviews with the Prometheus crew
Dec 2093: most of Prometheus (2012) takes place here, when the ship arrives at its destination
2094: “Alien: Covenant – Prologue: The Crossing” (2017) – a 3-minute short film in which Dr. Elizabeth Shaw (after the events of Prometheus) repairs David on the abandoned Engineer vessel, as she searches for humanity’s creators
Uncertain: “Alien: Covenant – Meet Walter” (2017) – an in-universe advertisement for Walter, the android from Covenent (and the successor to David from Prometheus); although its place in continuity isn’t clear, it makes sense as an introduction to Walter, and thus should go here
2103: “Alien: Covenant – Phobos” (2017) – a 9-minute short film in which a computer program tests the feelings and reactions of the Covenant crew
2104: “Alien: Covenant – Prologue: Last Supper” (2017) – a 5-minute short film in which the Covenant crew and its android Walter enjoys a final meal before cryosleep on the way to their destination
2104: Alien: Covenant (2017) – sequel to Prometheus
2104: “Alien: Covenant – Advent” (2017) – a 7-minute short film in which David, after the events of Covenant, sends a transmission from the Covenant to Weyland-Yutani on Earth, elaborating upon the genetic experimentation he has been conducting on Planet 4.
Uncertain: “David’s Lab: Last Signs of Life” (2019) – a 12-minute short film, produced for Alien’s 40th anniversary, and set sometime after Alien: Covenant, in which an astronaut examines David’s lab and is attacked by a facehugger
2122: Alien (1979) – the main Alien sequence begins
Unknown: “Alien: Alone” (2019) – a 12-minute short film, produced for Alien’s 40th anniversary
Unknown: “Alien: Containment” (2019) – a 10-minute short film, produced for Alien’s 40th anniversary
Unknown: “Alien: Harvest” (2019) – a 9-minute short film, produced for Alien’s 40th anniversary
Unknown: “Alien: Night Shift” (2019) – a 9-minute short film, produced for Alien’s 40th anniversary
Unknown: “Alien: Ore” (2019) – an 11-minute short film, produced for Alien’s 40th anniversary
Unknown: “Alien: Specimen” (2019) – a 10-minute short film, produced for Alien’s 40th anniversary
2137: Alien: Isolation (7 episodes, 2019) – a mini-series, set 15 years after Alien, starring Ripley’s daughter Amanda and based on the video game of the same name; episodes were 8-14 minutes long
2179: Aliens (1986) – Ripley is revived after 57 years in status on one of the Nostromo’s escape shuttles
2179: Alien 3 (1992) – begins shortly after Aliens and ends with Ripley’s death
Unclear: Black Hole (1979) – this classic Disney film features no date and is difficult to fit into our timeline, since it features a space station monitoring a black hole, something arguably too advanced for the Alien franchise, yet also features robots less advanced than those in the Alien franchise
2381: Alien Resurrection (1997) – stars a clone of Ellen Ripley, more than 200 years after her death; ends with the clone arriving at Earth
Era 4: Firefly (2517)
This era takes place further in the future – specifically, in the 26th century.
2517: Firefly (14 episodes, 2002)
2517: Serenity (2005) – a continuation of Firefly
Stuff that Doesn’t Fit
The two Alien Vs. Predator movies (2004 and 2007) aren’t very good and are incompatible with the Alien prequel movies.
Predator 2 (1990) has been excluded for a few reasons. First, it is set in 1997 and guesses at future technology in a way that’s incompatible with the real world. Second, it features a Predator in Los Angeles and doesn’t limit those who are aware of its alien origins. Third, it briefly features an Alien skull on board a Predator ship, which is incompatible with the origin of the Alien species in the Alien prequel movies. Finally, Predator 2 isn’t great and is widely regarded as a weak film.
Material depicting public encounters with extraterrestrials in the (then) present must be excluded as incompatible with the rest of our material. This excludes material such as The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) and Independence Day (1996). Although a closer call, Flight of the Navigator (1986) has been excluded for the same reason.
Other material is excluded because it presents a future that is incompatible with that of Alien. For example, Planet of the Apes could not be included for this reason (even if that franchise did not include copious incompatible material set in the present day). Post-apocalyptic material such as Zardoz (1974) must similarly be excluded (even if we were inclined to ignore that film’s tonal inconsistencies).
Other material is excluded because it’s incompatible with the rest of the material’s depiction of Earth’s state of technology. This is a subjective criterion, because The X-Files has plenty of technology and knowledge that isn’t referenced later, and this can be used to justify the inclusion of material such as Tron (1982) or The Fly (1986). However, it would be hard to reconcile the miniaturization technology in Fantastic Voyage (1966) with the rest of our timeline. Similarly, Tomorrowland (2015) features advanced androids that are incompatible with later development of androids as depicted in the Alien prequels.
Other material is excluded due to incompatible tone, another admittedly subjective criterion. It’s one thing to include The X-Files in the same universe as Alien, but it’s another to include Buckaroo Banzai (1984) or Idiocracy (2006). While Indiana Jones and The X-Files contain supernatural elements, the tone of Buffy the Vampire Slayer makes it incompatible, in my view. Similarly, the Kingsman franchise feels incompatible with the tone of The X-Files. The exclusion of some older films, such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) or the original The Fly (1958), may also be attributed to their tone.
Some material isn’t included but might be. For example, I’m not sure if James Cameron’s company doesn’t co-own Avatar (2009), and its sequels (in production) might contradict our timeline. Were Avatar to be cleared for inclusion, it would be set between Alien and Aliens. Similarly, because The Martian (2015) is an adaptation of a novel, it’s not clear that Fox retains all rights in perpetuity.
