Explanation of How Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and E.T. Share the Same Universe
I've come across a very interesting theory that Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and E.T. might actually all take place in the same universe. I love the idea that in some way these stories and worlds are connected with each other.
io9 commenter plaidboy broke down the details and laid out a road map for how this is possible. It's absolutely fascinating, and even though this was probably never the intention of the filmmakers it's still some incredibly cool speculation.
Here's his full explanation of how this could be possible:
"[I] loathe to validate anything about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. But stick with me here; it's a little meta.
"Let's start by looking at things chronologically and diagetically, beginning a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away.
"The Star Wars happen. Yoda is a prominent senate member. Also in the galactic senate: representatives of the alien race that would eventually include ET.
"On earth:
"1936, China - Indiana Jones meets Lao Che in Club Obi Wan.
"1938, Egypt - Indiana Jones passes hieroglyphic depicting R2-D2 and C3PO.
"1982, America - Young Elliot befriends a stranded alien, ET, and shows him action figures of Lando and Greedo.
"The Star Wars, as a story, exists on Earth. As a story. But then, on Halloween, ET sees a boy dressed as YODA and RECOGNIZES HIM. So not only is Star Wars a story on Earth, but it's now confirmed as a TRUE story.
"We can see the story was laid out on the walls of the tombs and pyramids, thousands of years ago. This story eventually moved across the Asiatic continent, inspire legends and myths of lone samurai types defeating an empire, translating itself into lifestyles of the orient, and eventually, Club Obi Wan. Its universal heroes made their way into the cultural consciousness, eventually resulting in an epic film series depicting these ancient characters, ripping the story and images directly from the walls of the now well investigated tombs.
"So then, how did this story get here?
"The pyramids of the east and west were mysteriously built around the same time period by cultures an ocean apart. It's long been theorized that there was some sort of extraterrestrial intervention. This is confirmed by the presence of the aliens in Crystal Skull, their ship buried underneath a pyramid in Central America.
"Given these diagetic clues, I think it's completely reasonable to assume that the crystal skull aliens brought us this story, immortalizing it on the walls of the structures they helped us to build. Their gift was knowledge. Knowledge of the Star Wars."
After having read that, are you convinced that these stories could take place in the same universe? I want to believe that it's true, so in my head it is, and now I'm happy.