The truth behind alleged ‘Alice in Borderland Cinematic Universe’

After the release of Season 3, there are rumors circulating about an ‘Alice in Borderland Cinematic Universe’ (or AiBCU), with multiple spinoffs at Netflix. But there’s something you need to know. 

Season 2 of the Netflix series ended where the original manga does, meaning the latest third run is in entirely new territory, seeing Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya) and Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) drawn back into the Borderland for another round of deadly games. 

Alice in Borderland Season 3 ends with a potential set up for a USA spinoff, while the director and cast have said they’d be keen to return to the franchise if it gets the greenlight. As such, it’s not a leap to think a cinematic universe is on the cards. 

But much like the ‘Squid Game Cinematic Universe’ speculation, the MCU-esque plan doing the rounds right now is nothing more than fiction. 

The ‘Alice in Borderlands Cinematic Universe’ isn’t real

The Phase 1 blueprint for the ‘Alice in Borderland Cinematic Universe’ you’ve seen online is fan made. That’s not to say the franchise won’t continue in the future, but this particular plan has been made up. 

While cinematic universes have existed for decades, Marvel Studios brought the idea into the mainstream, with Kevin Feige mapping out interconnected Phases of MCU movies and TV shows at Comic-Con events.

One of these blueprints has been mapped out for Alice in Borderland, featuring Seasons 1-3 between December 2020 and 2025, followed by the next chapter: Alice in Borderland USA, which is said to be dropping in summer 2027. 

TikToker Brent Reviews showcased the map on his account, stating that after the American spinoff, there’ll be a prequel of the Watchman (who made his debut in Season 3) in winter 2029. 

The timeline also includes Alice in Borderland: Zero, which would delve into the creation of the Borderland, in summer 2030, followed by Season 4 in winter 2031. Just to reiterate: this is completely fictional.

Some of these projects may get the greenlight in the future, but for now, Netflix hasn’t announced anything beyond Season 3.

That hasn’t stopped fans from commenting on the image, however, and it’s even fooled some viewers. “Why does America need to ruin everything?” asked one, while another said, “Man, we didn’t even need Season 3.”

A third added, “The cards are all gone, what’s left?” Others noticed it’s another fake, including this person who said, “THIS IS LITERALLY THE FORMULA FOR SQUID GAME.” A second chimed in, “They just copied and pasted the name Alice in Borderland.”

Turns out, Brent Reviews got the image from Reddit, with the OP themselves pointing out that it was nothing more than a concept. 

“I’ve been messing around with some conceptual ideas for what a future Alice in Borderland Cinematic Universe could look like, and I wanted to share them here to see what people think,” they wrote. 

“One of the big ones I’ve been sketching out is a prequel that dives into the creation of the Borderland itself. Imagine something like Alice in Borderland: Zero, a story about the very first moment the Borderland came into existence. 

“Almost like an inception tale – is it death, limbo, or something humanity created to gamify survival?”

They elaborated on how the franchise could build future phases, with another idea being Alice in Borderland: Genesis, “the ‘creation myth’ of the Borderland, showing whether it was a mass-casualty event, an experiment, or something supernatural.”

“And then the ‘final’ story in this universe could be Alice in Borderland: World / The Final Game, where it’s no longer just about individuals surviving in one city, but entire nations treated as players in a system of mass survival and manipulation,” they continued.

What’s next for Alice in Borderland?

Nothing has been confirmed just yet, but the cast and crew have expressed interest in returning to the Alice in Borderland world, whether that’s in a global spinoff or a Season 4.

Speaking with the Radio Times, director Shinsuke Sato was asked about the potential for future seasons, to which he replied, “If you’re asking me whether I’d be interested or not, I would certainly say yes.”

He also highlighted the potential to adapt the Alice in Borderland spinoff manga, Alice on Border Road, by the original manga’s author Haro Aso. Interestingly, the protagonist in the spinoff is named Alice, and while it’s set within the same universe, it takes place in Kyoto. 

As for Usagi star Tao Tsuchiya, she told the outlet that she’d love to return in another chapter of the Netflix show, and she also has an idea for how that could play out.

“I have a premise where the child will find themselves in Borderland and the parents have to go in and save them. The kids don’t understand the world at all but then the parents do,” she said. 

“From the kids’ point of view, they’ll question, ‘Who are you? Are you my parents? Why do you understand all of this?’ There’s a sense of suspicion that comes from that. Through the games, they help each other as parent and child, which reaffirms how beautiful family is.

“If it were a one-off show or film, then it would be us clearing the games by ourselves, without a child. But this is something that’s possible because it’s a show over a couple of seasons.

“We’d love for our own life experiences that come with our age to be projected into the story. I’m holding my hand out into the ether and hope one of the producers will be listening!”