Why a Borderlands Cinematic Universe Isn't as Crazy as It Sounds

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Borderlands

Highlights

The Borderlands movie adaptation has the potential for a successful cinematic universe, despite initial skepticism.
The movie could lead to sequels and spin-offs exploring different planets and characters within the vast Borderlands universe.

Now that the Borderlands movie adaptation is very much a reality, it's easy to be wary of a potential cinematic universe revolving around the games. The Borderlands franchise has become beloved by many gamers, and though it's warranted to be suspicious of a cinematic universe of the game working well, it's more possible than it may seem at first.

The movie adaptation has a lot of weight on its shoulders. After lukewarm reactions to the Borderlands movie's first trailer, there seems to be low expectations regarding the film's upcoming release. However, the world of Borderlands is actually well-suited for a cinematic universe as long as it is executed correctly.

The Borderlands Movie Makes a Massive, Odd Change for No Apparent Reason

Although the Borderlands movie is stacked with some major star power, one glaring change from the games feels really unnecessary.

More Borderlands Worlds To Explore Than Just Pandora

Live-action adaptations of video game franchises aren't easy, but if Lionsgate pulls off the Borderlands movie, then the franchise is filled with interesting avenues for a cinematic universe to go down. Borderlands is filled with unique characters and environments that could be perfect additions to a movie franchise. With the Borderlands movie seemingly leaving out certain characters, it's clear that Lionsgate and Eli Roth are hoping for sequels to happen, and the game's world has plenty of material to work with.

A Deeper Dive Into Other Planets

Although the upcoming movie is set on Pandora, there are other planets to explore for future settings if the film does well enough for sequels and spin-offs. Pandora is the most important planet in the Borderlands universe, but potential spin-offs could explore the likes of Promethea or Pandora's moon, Elpis, which was featured in The Pre-Sequel. The Borderlands movie would benefit from not being a direct copy of the games, and exploring different worlds in spin-offs would be great ways to tell fresh stories that haven't been told in the games yet.

Life on Pandora may be hard, but life on Promethea can be even harder, and that would be interesting to explore in a movie. There could already be a tie-in with the movie adaptation since it stars Borderlands' Roland, who served two tours on the planet when the Crimson Lance held a presence on the planet. That could be an interesting way to connect the movie's story to a Promethea-based spin-off or it could be a brand-new story entirely.

Plenty of Borderlands Characters To Explore

Just one of the many aspects that makes Borderlands so much fun is all the different characters who have their own unique stories. Indeed, the Borderlands movie leaving out some notable characters could grant future entries the opportunity to introduce other popular characters and not put all their eggs in a single basket.

A spin-off going into the background of Handsome Jack or a story revolving around assassin Athena would offer plenty of material to work with.

Some other compelling roads for sequels or spin-offs to explore would be showcasing Zer0 or Mordecai in some capacity. The lack of Mordecai in the Borderlands trailer seems like a strange omission, but there will hopefully be a surprise in store when the movie releases. As a favorite character of many players, a Borderlands movie without Mordecai feels wrong, but only time will tell if more characters will get to see the spotlight and if a Borderlands cinematic universe actually becomes a reality.