In my previous article, I introduced the concept of fictional canonicity. In this article, I will detail my issues with the concept and propose a solution.
As a quick recap, in my previous article, I defined a fictional canon as a body of works that constitute the official history within a given fictional setting. My issue with this idea can be summed up in two words: who cares? That the current rights holder of a given property expresses an opinion about which narrative details are official has no bearing on the actual quality of the stories in question. In any franchise that has a lengthy history and a significant multimedia presence, there will exist noncanonical entries or side stories of that franchise that are of higher aesthetic quality than certain canonical installments. And if a noncanonical installment is well made and delights its audience, then what does its canonical status matter?
So here is my proposition: The notion of canonicity in regards to fiction should largely be abandoned and replaced with a robust conception of continuity. On this model, instead of discussing whether a particular story is canonical within a franchise, one could discuss which other stories that particular story is in continuity with.
In order to demonstrate how this would work, I shall provide a hypothetical situation.
Franchise X began as a TV show, but eventually a comic book series was released to accompany it. Though both the TV series and the comic book series were licensed by the relevant rights holders, different creative teams, working separately, created these two series. The comic book series expands upon the events depicted in the TV series, but the TV series never directly references anything that occurs in the comic. Later, a Franchise X video game is released, whose plot also expands upon the TV series’ events but contradicts certain details established in the comic book series. In such a circumstance, a fan concerned with canonicity would ask whether the comic book series or video game or neither is canonical. On my model of continuity over canonicity, however, the question of canonicity would not arise: one would simply say that both the comic book series and the video game are in continuity with the TV series but that the comic and the video game are not in continuity with each other.
I prefer this outcome for multiple reasons. On this model, though one acknowledges that the events depicted in the comic and the video game are mutually exclusive, neither is necessarily considered more authoritative than the other. This rectifies one problem with traditional models of canonicity in that it bypasses contests of authority. That a work is recognized as official whereas another is not official does not necessarily reflect the quality of either work. Perhaps the noncanonical work is of higher quality than the canonical work, or perhaps not; either way, this boils down to a matter of personal preference. But with the continuity model, there is no implication of one work being more valuable or important than another.
To give these ideas a specific, real-world application, I will turn, as is my wont, to Star Wars. Prior to Disney’s acquisition of Star Wars, a vast body of material came into being known as the Star Wars Expanded Universe, often abbreviated as the EU. The EU was impressive in its scope and detail, and Lucasfilm held that this material was canonical (I will likely expound upon the evolution of Lucasfilm’s Star Wars canon policy in a later article). Shortly after Disney’s acquisition of Star Wars, the EU was decanonized and rebranded as Star Wars Legends, with subsequent, Disney-overseen materials being considered canonical. While there are those who bemoan that Disney’s contributions to the Star Wars franchise are not in continuity with Star Wars Legends material, I do not have a problem per se with Disney’s creation of a new Star Wars continuity. I do believe, however, that Disney erred in dubbing Star Wars Legends noncanonical and newer material canonical. This choice seems to assert that, in Disney’s view, Disney’s Star Wars is “real” Star Wars, whereas prior contributions to the franchise are not “real.” Instead, Disney could have simply stated that their take on the Star Wars franchise would constitute a new continuity, without referencing canonicity. In that case, there could simply exist two significant Star Wars continuities that could co-exist without undermining each other, just as the existence of Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy does not undermine Tim Burton’s Batman films.
I may elaborate upon my views on canonicity and continuity, but this is a start. To sum up my views, I would say that fans of specific franchises should be less concerned with whether a particular aspect of their beloved franchise is canonical and instead embrace the notion that their franchise can encompass multiple continuities.
