Thanks to the overwhelming success of The Avengers back in 2012, the shared universe model has become commonplace in the film industry. Looking to capitalize on all the benefits the practice presents, studios like Warner Bros., Lucasfilm, and Paramount are in various stages of putting together their own interconnected franchises for lucrative properties such as DC Comics, Star Wars, and Transformers. Audiences have come to expect crossovers in their big-budget films, and in the age of stark competition, it's vital to make each tentpole feel like an event worth seeing on the big screen.

Of course, in most cases, materials published in other mediums are part of the same continuity as the movies. For instance, the Lucasfilm story group makes sure that all the Star Wars novels, comics, and games work together to be part of a larger cohesive narrative. While this is fun for die-hards to follow, as shared universes grow over time, it may become difficult for casual audiences to piece everything together. Fortunately, there's now a one-stop shop where anyone can see the complete chronology of a pop culture franchise.

The website All Timelines, created by former Screen Rant writer Jason Hamilton, was recently launched. As the title suggests, it is a collection of multiple fictional universe histories, including Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Star TrekLord of the Rings, and Doctor Who just to name a few. When viewing a chronology, users are able to filter the timeline to show only the items they want to see (i.e. films, TV episodes, novels) for maximum convenience. It is also possible to sort by date, author, or name.

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In a press release, Hamilton explained his motivation for developing All Timelines:

“Since I was young, I’ve always created chronological lists of my favorite franchises to help me wrap my mind around some of the complex chronologies found in modern storytelling. As I developed these timelines, I found many of my friends were interested in using my work as a guide. This website allows me to fill that need and have fun doing it.”

Already extremely comprehensive with just about any brand you can think of, new content is constantly being added, with more timelines coming on a weekly basis. Updates can be found on the home page, and interested parties can subscribe to a newsletter to stay up-to-date. As the shared universes become more and more complex, All Timelines should increasingly become in-demand and draw several visitors curious to see how #ItsAllConnected. Even the ones who follow these series closely have trouble remembering it all, so this website will prove to be a very useful and handy tool for everyone who is part of the entertainment industry.

Source: All Timelines