Credit: Universal StudiosBack to the Future is one of the most beloved franchises of all time, and the three films are collectively regarded as one of the best movie trilogies. So much, in fact, that fans condemn the idea of the original 1985 film being rebooted or a fourth installment ever being made.
Even the filmmakers have repeatedly opposed a new film. However, in recent years, the idea of another Back to the Future entry, whether a reboot or a sequel, has come up in many conversations, some of which have involved the films’ two biggest stars themselves.
Michael J Fox (Marty McFly) surprised everyone when he put forward the idea of a female-led Back to the Future film, a concept his co-star Christopher Lloyd (Doc Brown) would later echo. Lloyd even expressed an interest in returning for a fourth film, however, Fox did not.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s very own Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Tom Holland, has even been fan-cast as the new Marty McFly on more than one occasion. But while there are likely some fans who want another installment in the series, it seems the majority don’t.
If we cast our minds back nine years, the idea of another ’80s classic being rebooted seemed impossible. Somehow, though, Ghostbusters (1984) went under the Hollywood knife, and in 2016, the reboot Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016) was released. The rest is history.
Back to the Future Other Media
It’s easy to forget that Back to the Future reaches beyond just the three films: Back to the Future (1985), Back to the Future Part II (1989), and Back to the Future Part III (1990). For starters, there was an animated television series of the same name that aired in 1993.
There’s also a musical adaptation of the original 1985 film, titled Back to the Future: The Musical (2020). There’s even a long-running comic book series from IDW Publishing.
Diehard fans will be aware of all the additional Back to the Future media, but the more casual fans probably aren’t as tuned in. However, the franchise doesn’t end with movies, musicals, cartoons, and comic books, either. Enter “Back to the Future: The Game” (2010).
“Back to the Future: The Game”
In 2010, a fourth installment arrived in the form of “Back to the Future: The Game”, which, to this day, is regarded by fans as an official follow-up to the film trilogy. Check out the trailer for the game below, courtesy of Telltale Games:
Related: 5 Actresses Who Could Play Female Marty McFly In ‘Back to the Future’ Reboot
“Back to the Future: The Game” Characters
Developed and published by Telltale Games and co-written by the writer and producer of the films, Bob Gale, “Back to the Future: The Game” is an “episodic” adventure that follows on chronologically from the trilogy, picking up six months after the events of the third film.
Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd gave the developers their permission to use their likenesses for their respective characters in the game. Lloyd also voices Doc Brown, while Fox shares Marty McFly duties with actor AJ Locascio.
“Back to the Future: The Game” Synopsis
As is the case with Telltale Games (if you’ve played “The Walking Dead” and “Jurassic Park: The Game”, you’ll already be familiar with the format), “Back to the Future: The Game” is divided into episodes. All five of them were released separately, just like a television series.
As such, it can be enjoyed like one, as you can watch all five episodes online, or you can just play through the game as normal. Each episode is around the 35 — 40 minute mark (some are shorter), while the overall game takes around 12 — 15 hours to fully complete.
It features other characters from the movies, too, like Biff Tannen, and introduces new ones like Irving “Kid” Tannen, Biff’s father. The game feels like an authentic Back to the Future installment. But although it’s a licensed entry, it isn’t necessarily a sequel to the films.
The Game’s Canonicity
While many fans consider the third-person interactive adventure game to be an official continuation of the film series, largely because it picks up after the events of the last film and features Christopher Lloyd and Michael J Fox (to some capacity), it isn’t actually canon.
This happens a lot with games. For a long time, “Ghostbusters: The Video Game” (2009) was regarded as canon not only by fans, but by Ghostbusters actor Dan Aykroyd himself. However, the events of Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) seemingly retcon the 2009 entry.
There are many other examples of this, such as “The Thing” (2002) video game, which is widely considered canon with the 1982 John Carpenter film of the same name. And when it comes to franchises like Star Wars, take your pick — almost everything post Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm is canon (with the exception of the LEGO titles).
But in the case of “Back to the Future: The Game”, Bob Gale has confirmed that only the three films are canon, while the likes of the comic books, the cartoon series, and the 2010 video game take place in an “alternate” Back to the Future timeline.
In a 2010 interview (via The Telltale Blog), while discussing the game, Gale said, “Only the movies are canon. Everything else [the cartoon, the comic books, and so on] fits into the ‘what-if?’ category, or might be canon in some alternate universe.”
This makes a lot of sense, as the franchise is no stranger to alternate timelines. In Back to the Future Part II, Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) finds himself in an alternate 1985, where Biff Tannen (Thomas F Wilson) has married his mother, Lorraine Baines (Lea Thompson).
As Back to the Future deals with time travel, it’s hardly a stretch to suggest that other timelines may exist as part of a multiverse. Who knows how many universes Marty McFly and Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) have created with all their time-traveling adventures.
In fact, in the original film, when Marty returns to the present day, everything is different, so what happened to the original 1985 present day, in which his parents are miserable, and his siblings haven’t amounted to much in their adult life? Thinking about it too much can hurt.
So, “Back to the Future: The Game” takes place in an alternate timeline. Technically speaking, though, if you apply DC Universe and Marvel Cinematic Universe logic, it could still be canon. After all, Gale describes the game as fitting into the “‘what-if'” category.
Marvel’s What If…? (2001) animated series is considered canon, because it takes place in the Marvel Multiverse, which was introduced in the film series.
Either way, there are plenty of Back to the Future timelines to enjoy.
Have you played “Back to the Future: The Game”? Let us know in the comments down below!