The world has gone crazy for canon. No, not a canon which you shoot stuff out of. Canon, i.e., films, books, television shows – anything which has been created and accepted as part of the story in a fictional universe.

Think about Star Wars, for example. The amount of books, television shows, films and comics which are tied to its universe is simply astounding. Of course, not all of this material is considered canon. But this article isn’t about what is and isn’t considered canon. It’s about how we have all gone crazy for canon.

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In the last year or so alone there have been a huge amount of continuations, prequels and spin-offs created for several popular fictional universes. In cinema alone we have seen the successful releases of at least two new Star Wars movies (The Last Jedi and Solo), at least three new Marvel films (Avengers, Ant-Man and the Wasp and Black Panther) and one new Jurassic Park flick – all of which can be considered canon. Clearly we want these films.

But it doesn’t end there. On top of that, television series spin-offs for The Vampire Diaries, Game of Thrones and Sons of Anarchy have been announced. Don’t even get me started on books – that is one slippery slope.

Is it time for our favourite fictional universes to surrender? (Source)

It seems to me that it is all getting a little out of control. How many Star Wars films do we need? Is a Game of Thrones spin-off series really necessary?

I mean, fine. I get it. You have to keep a good thing going while it lasts – sometimes. However, it can also feel like eating a block of chocolate. The first row is delicious. The second row even more so. By the time you reach the end of the block you’re left with the feeling that you’ve had a little too much and that maybe eating the whole block wasn’t such a good idea.

Canon: We just can’t get enough (Source)

It’s the same when we return again and again to the same fictional universe, for yet another fictional story. When I saw Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, my friend remarked that they were a little underwhelmed by the whole thing. I kind of found myself nodding my head in agreement. How many monster/dinosaur hybrids can you create before that fictional universe starts to lose its magic?

I’m not saying that these stories shouldn’t be created. But maybe, just maybe, our time would be better spent devouring more unique fictional universes instead of going crazy for the canon which is thrown our way on a daily basis.