Universal attempted to make the Dark Universe happen 8 years ago with Tom Cruise’sThe Mummy, andWolf Manconfirms it’s a good thing the cinematic universe failed. The 2025 horror film from director Leigh Whannell is the latest instance of classic Universal Monsters being reinvented for modern audiences. This direction for some iconic creatures was a heavy emphasis of 2017’sThe Mummy, which starred Tom Cruise in a big-budget, action-driven feature. It was meant to kickstart an entire cinematic universe - known as the Dark Universe - that would bring together Invisible Man, Frankenstein, and more.
The Dark Universe plans were sprawling ahead ofThe Mummy’s release in 2017, including Universal’s now infamous photo of Russell Crowe, Javier Bardem, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, and Sofia Boutella photoshopped together as a promise of the monster franchise to come. This hope came crashing down in the fallout ofThe Mummy’s release, as it made $410 million at the box office, resulting in Universal losing between $60M-$95M on the film. That ushered in a new direction forupcoming Universal Monster moviesthatWolf Manbelongs to, and the 2025 film proves the pivot was for the best.
Wolf Man Was Originally Going To Be Part Of The Dark Universe
By the timeThe Mummycame out in 2017, Universal had many different films in development that were intended to be part of the Dark Universe. The franchise only got as far as bringing Javier Bardem and Johnny Depp aboard as Frankenstein and The Invisible Man, respectively, in terms of people who did not appear inThe Mummy. However,aWolf Manmovie was in development at Universal since 2014. Aaron Guzikowski was hired to write a script for the film, which was planned as a new potential franchise starter within the Dark Universe.
Development on this iteration ofWolf Mandid not make it too far by all accounts. No director was ever hired to make the film. There were reports thatUniversal wanted Dwayne Johnson to play Wolf Manin the new film and join the Dark Universe’s A-list ensemble cast. This all came to a halt afterThe Mummy’s release. Universalcanceled several Dark Universe moviesand reconfigured its approach going forward.This even led to Ryan Gosling spearheading the development of a newWolf Manmovie, which led to the new film he serves as a producer on.
2025’s Wolf Man Could Not Exist Within The Dark Universe
This Iteration Of Wolf Man Wouldn’t Work In A Shared Universe
The Dark Universe’s collapse is ultimately a good thing when looking at 2025’sWolf Man. Universal made it clear what direction the cinematic universe was heading in withThe Mummy. These films were going to be driven by top-tier stars, lean into action over horror, and carry massive budgets. There was also surely going to be an emphasis on crossovers and worldbuilding to set up future installments.The Mummyshows why that approach was not the best, as there were flat characters, not enough scares, and too much franchise setup for a single film.
It’s striking how differentWolf Manis compared toThe Mummy. The new monster movie might as well be the exact opposite in every way. The film is headlined by rising stars in Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner, has a very small scale to the story, brings the horror aspects to the forefront, and is an entirely standalone story. There is no sequel set up or universe building inWolf Man’s ending. It’s the antithesis of what the Dark Universe was going for then.
There is no chance this version ofWolf Manwould have been made under the Dark Universe banner. That’s an assessment I feel confident in even without knowing what the Dark Universe’s version ofWolf Manwas going to be about. But if Dwayne Johnson was the archetype for the lead role, a big-budget, action-heavy blockbuster would have been the result. Instead, 2025’sWolf Mangives audiences a small, personal family drama horror film relying on practical effects that doesn’t have the weight of a shared universe on its shoulders.
Wolf Man Is Further Proof That Universal’s Monsters Don’t Need The Dark Universe
Bringing Back The Dark Universe Would Be A Disservice
The idea of the Dark Universe and a franchise with all of Universal’s classic monsters intermixing is not a foreign concept, as the studio had success with the idea on a smaller scale through the 1930s and 1950s. However,Wolf Manis another reminder that this is not a necessity to do these characters justice.Universal has had a few recent success stories with these properties by removing the shared universe burdenfrom them. In the last six years, they’ve madeThe Invisible Man,Renfield,The Last Voyage of the Demeter,Abigail, and nowWolf Man.
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While not all of these movies were warmly received by critics or did good business at the box office, there is a lot to like about them individually. Leigh Whannell’sThe Invisible Manstands as the best of the bunch critically and commercially.Renfieldmay have struggled with critics, but Nicolas Cage as Dracula lived up to expectations.The Last Voyage of the Demetertold the Dracula story most films skip right over, providing a new experience.Abigailshowed how to reboot the Dark Universewith Dracula’s daughter. AndWolf Mantakes swings a bigger franchise installment might not have.
By making all these different standalone movies,Universal is giving fans of the Universal Monsters more films to see. Importantly, this is all being done without audiences or filmmakers worrying about how a film connects to others. These movies work alone and do not need a big team-up crossover like the Dark Universe so desperately wanted. Not every movie is bound to be great, but the Dark Universe wasn’t off to a great start. It’s much better to let these movies and characters exist on their own than force a shared universe strictly for potential box office profits.
What Wolf Man Means For The Future Of Universal’s Monster Movies
More Standalone Monster Movies Are Coming
How big of a hitWolf Manis for Universal remains to be seen, as the critical response has been more mixed than expected.Wolf Man’s box officecould be a key factor for Universal and Blumhouse then when it comes to determining what the future of these properties will look like. In the years since abandoning the Dark Universe, Universal has started development on a handful of films that are meant to continue the standalone movie approach. This includes James Wan potentially directing a newThe Creature of the Black Lagoonafter developing an original idea for the script.
That is far from the only Universal Monster movie still in development. Reboots ofThe Phantom of the Opera,Van Helsing,Scorpion King,Bride of Frankenstein,Dracula,The Invisible Woman, andFrankensteinhave been in the works for years, but none of them are imminent at this stage. One has to wonder if Universal will reconsider the future of these properties ifWolf Manunderperforms at the box office just asAbigail,The Last Voyage of the Demeter, andRenfielddid. That could include rethinking whether a Dark Universe should happen but just in a new way.
