Chucky Vs. M3GAN Needs To Happen (As Long As Don Mancini Is Involved)

The annals of horror film history are loaded with crossovers, with "Freddy vs. Jason" and "Alien vs. Predator" being two noteworthy pre-MCU examples. And in the 2020s, there's one grand feud that simply must happen: a not-so-playful showdown between everyone's two favorite murderous dolls, Chucky and M3GAN. 

They have much more in common than you'd initially presume. Both of them would do just about anything to achieve their goals — whether it's M3GAN protecting her best friend, or Chucky hopping his soul to a new body so he can begin life anew. Chucky's been slaying innocents since the 1980s, while M3GAN surprised the world by leading her film to sleeper hit status in the winter of 2022. Both dolls are well known for their snark — Chucky's tends to lean on salty side, while M3GAN uses sass to get her point across. It's a match made in Twitter heaven, and naturally the two managed to tangle there when M3GAN got some early buzz thanks to the sight of the doll dancing before slaying some foes in an early release trailer. 

Fans of both characters have been clamoring for a fight — or even a team-up — ever since. Somewhere between the nasty sense of humor that perfumes the "Child's Play" series and the cooler snark "M3GAN" employs, there lies something potentially very, very special. Both franchises interrogate matters of grief and identity, and could easily comingle to create something fantastically unique. 

There's just one catch: the only way the film will ever work is if "Child's Play" creator Don Mancini is somehow involved with the production. Whether he's consulting, writing, or directing the eventual movie, Mancini needs to have a voice in the finished product, because we know from experience how bad "Child's Play" can get without him.

It's really all about style and execution. Don Mancini's seven "Child's Play" films (and the subsequent Universal TV series "Chucky") have all been victorious because they never pull punches. That's all Mancini's doing. He wrote each and every script for the seven-film series, and directed its latest two installments. He has directed and written scripts for "Chucky," as well as producing the show. He has an innate ability to balance camp, heart, and gore, that absolutely works for the franchise as a whole. He's also been the one to maintain its running theme — that of blighted identity, and the triumph of innocence over evil. It's his careful work that has helped keep the entire "Child's Play" franchise such a consistent experience. 

While it's arguable that some of Mancini's choices — including the less-memorable "Child's Play 3" and the decision to bend "Seed of Chucky" more strongly toward camp and humor than horror — have been less-than-perfect, the existence of "Chucky" should ameliorate all concerns from the fanbase. Fearlessly nasty, it also has a heart and soul and cares about its central heroes. The series humanizes Tiffany Valentine (Jennifer Tilly) and its villains, as well. 

That's the kind of spark a M3GAN and Chucky movie needs to have, something that will carry it beyond the notion of laughing at the funny dolls as they try to stab each other. And doing a Chucky movie without Mancini is unthinkable. The 2019 "Child's Play" remake amply demonstrates why there should never be another project in the franchise that doesn't include him in some aspect. 

That's not, of course, to say that the minds behind "M3GAN" — screenplay writers Akela Cooper and horror legend James Wan, and director Gerard Johnstone — don't deserve to have their own input into any crossover that might occur. There's a reason why "M3GAN" went from a meme-worthy bomb to a box office hit, after all. Indeed, the movie's dueling themes about frustrated parental love, children caught in the demonic crossfire of evil, and recovery from epic loss really ought to continue. So yes, the "M3GAN" creative team should be involved — it's just Mancini, as the horror veteran who handles Chucky like nobody else, should be in the driver's seat for the crossover.

Wouldn't just be incredibly interesting to watch the ultimate fight between selfless motherlove-turned-selfish-melomaniac vs pure egotistical sociopathy? The heroes of both franchises have interesting backgrounds, as well. Cady (Violet McGraw) and Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) have been forced to bury family members, had to adjust to terrifying new situations after losing their parents, and faced down death numerous times. They have a lot in common, and since Andy and his foster sister Kyle (Christine Elise) have dedicated themselves to helping innocents after the events of the second season of "Chucky," assisting Cady and Gemma (Allison Williams) with M3GAN feels like it should be a natural next step.

The crossover is more possible than it might seem. Universal Studios and Paramount have begun to sow seeds for the confrontation ahead. The characters' shared history is starting to leak its way into official merchandise — particularly in one "Chucky" Season 3 promo where Chucky (Brad Dourif) reacts defensively over the popularity of "doll movies." So, both studios should ink a deal and strike while the iron's hot.

Audiences are already excited about the notion of a Chucky and M3GAN fight. If all of the proper creative parties line up, then all the resulting product needs to do is keep true to the best parts of each series. 

Perhaps a perfect balance could be found between both properties. "M3GAN" went very light on the gore, which hasn't been a style "Child's Play" has ever favored (even "Chucky" has been pretty fearless when it comes to piling on the blood and guts). So, wouldn't this be a great opportunity to see M3GAN kill someone in a messier way?

Chucky, meanwhile, has barely dabbled in the techno-horror bubble where M3GAN dwells. Sure, he knows how to use a power tool – but we've never seen him play around with robotics in any depth, nor have we gotten to see him do much beyond the old-fashioned magical soul distribution among multiple different dolls that resemble him. Maybe M3GAN — who takes on a life and personality of her own in spite of the fact that she has no organic human soul — would be appalled by how hard Chucky has worked to get himself a new lease on life.  Or would Chucky, the guy in a doll's body, find M3GAN's brutal search for control appalling? 

As long as both franchises keep their characters in character, the kills plentiful, and the epic final battle between the characters well-choreographed, then audiences will happily come back for more.