The 80s Cinematic Universe

The Pitch That Started It All

The 80’s Cinematic Universe began with one enormous “what if?” This original pitch introduces the basic idea behind the shared universe, the franchises that would inhabit it, and the rough roadmap for where the larger saga could eventually go. If this is your first visit to the 80’s CU, this is the best place to begin.

Some ideas have continued to evolve since this video was produced. The project files below represent the most recent versions where noted.

The Mixtapes

Rather than traditional phases, the 80’s CU is divided into Mixtapes - collections of films, specials, and series that gradually introduce new worlds before bringing them together. Each slate represents another chapter in the larger story, with individual franchises developing on their own before their paths begin to cross.

Mixtape One

The opening slate establishes the major heroes, villains, worlds, and rival factions that form the foundation of the 80’s CU, before bringing several of them together for the universe’s first major crossovers.

Mixtape Two

New corners of the 80’s CU enter the story as established characters move beyond their origins and the connections between previously separate worlds continue to grow.

The third Mixtape carries the shared universe into its largest stories yet, completing all the characters, conflicts, and relationships established across everything that came before.

Mixtape Three

Three chapters. One ultimate saga.

He-Man

Just as Iron Man once established the foundation of the MCU, He-Man serves as the gateway into the 80’s Cinematic Universe. The film introduces Eternia, establishes the planet's main heroes and villains, and sets the fun, adventurous, larger-than-life tone that the rest of the universe will build upon.

Track 01

Feature Film - Mixtape One

ThunderCats

This early treatment explores how the world of ThunderCats might be rebuilt within the larger 80’s CU while still preserving the characters and identity that make the franchise distinct. The surviving material includes development notes for the larger series alongside an unfinished outline for its first film.

Track 02

Feature Film - Mixtape One

Duke: Real American Hero

Designed as an origin story, Duke: Real American Hero gives one of G.I. Joe’s central figures room to stand on his own before the larger team takes center stage. The material below preserves the early story development and an incomplete outline for the special.

Track 03

One-Hour Special - Mixtape One

G.I. Joe

The first G.I. Joe film expands Duke’s more militant corner of the universe into a larger ensemble story, bringing the G.I. Joe team and its world fully into the 80’s CU. The surviving notes explore the film itself, while the character dossiers provide a deeper look at the personalities and histories behind its cast.

Track 04

Feature Film - Mixtape One

Voltron

Rather than approaching Voltron as a single adventure, the original plan envisioned a full trilogy that could gradually develop its heroes, mythology, and larger conflict.

Track 05

Feature Film - Mixtape One

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Blood Brothers

Inspired by the IDW comics, Blood Brothers introduces the TMNT into the 80’s CU through the bond at the heart of their story: four brothers trying to find their place in a dangerous world.

Track 06

Feature Film - Mixtape One

Cobra Commander: Serpent's Rise

Before Cobra became one of the modern world's greatest threats, someone had to build it. Serpent’s Rise is a villain-focused special exploring Cobra Commander's origins and laying additional groundwork for the conflict surrounding G.I. Joe.

Track 07

One-Hour Special - Mixtape One

Megatron

Before he became the leader of the Decepticons, Megatron was a Cybertronian miner living beneath a broken system. His solo film approaches that transformation as both a war story and a tragedy, following the rise of a revolutionary determined to change his world for the better.

Track 08

Feature Film - Mixtape One

Guardians of Grayskull

Guardians of Grayskull represents the 80s CU’s first major crossover event, bringing He-Man and She-Ra together for a larger shared adventure. The surviving material goes farther than most projects on the slate, including development notes, a detailed outline, and an unfinished screenplay.

Track 09

Feature Film - Mixtape One

She-Ra: Rise of the Light

This film opens another branch of the Masters of the Universe mythology through She-Ra’s first solo adventure. The project files include development notes, a story outline, and an additional in-universe log entry created to expand the mythology surrounding the Elixir of Convergence.

Track 10

Feature Film - Mixtape One

The Transformers: War Dawn

War Dawn expands the Transformers corner of the 80’s CU through a four-part mini-series, serving as a sequel to Megatron's solo film. Rooted in Cybertron and its civil war, this epic, war drama deepens the history surrounding the larger conflict.

Track 11

Four-Part Miniseries - Mixtape One

Transformers vs G.I. Joe

The first Mixtape builds toward a full collision between two of its largest franchises. Told across two films, Transformers vs. G.I. Joe brings together the characters and conflicts developed throughout both corners of the universe for a crossover designed to push the 80’s CU into its next era.

Part Two

Part One

Two-Part Crossover - Mixtape One

Tracks 12 - 13