Brendan Fraser Is The Link In A Forgotten Movie Multiverse
Movie multiverses are incredibly popular. Some make sense, like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while others are far looser, such as the films of Quentin Tarantino. But there's a '90s movie multiverse most people may be completely unaware of that's made possible thanks to the internet's favorite actor — Brendan Fraser.
The eventual Academy Award winner played Link in 1992's "Encino Man," serving as one of Brendan Fraser's most bizarre roles. He's a caveman frozen in ice who's awakened in the 1990s and becomes best friends with Stoney (Pauly Shore) and Dave (Sean Astin). But this wouldn't be Link's last cinematic excursion, as pointed out by Redditor u/LundgrensFrontKick: "I love that Brendan Fraser's Link character pops up in 'Son in Law' and 'In the Army Now.' However, it means there are several Pauly Shores existing in the same world at the same time. They don't know about each other and all seem to be doing their own thing."
Link appears at a party in "Son in Law" and then becomes a soldier for "In the Army Now," encountering a Shore character in each instance. Unfortunately, this also sets up a dark path for Link, as he apparently lost touch with Stoney and Dave and enlisted in the military when all else failed. It remains to be seen what becomes of Link, but the more intriguing question is what this says about the universe he exists in.
Why are there so many Pauly Shores?
Link's inclusion in multiple Pauly Shore movies opens up some interesting possibilities. The Reddit user has one theory about why there are so many Pauly Shores in this world: "They could either be clones (think 'Orphan Black'), twins, or Stoney had to go into hiding and Link is watching over him." That's, of course, assuming all these films take place in the same world. However, one must consider the possibility of a multiverse scenario where Link has somehow gained access to several different dimensions. If he can get frozen and move forward in time, he could easily move through realities based on movie logic.
When considering the multiverse, it's possible Link is destined to always meet with a Pauly Shore character. They may look the same across realities, but they have different names and pursuits for myriad reasons. It's possible Link could create a Nexus Event if he doesn't meet up with Pauly Shore, creating a branched timeline that requires pruning, as seen on "Loki." Then again, these may not be the same Link. While Pauly Shore can encompass different characters, Link could be a Nexus Being, effectively the same person across dimensions, such as J.K. Simmons always playing J. Jonah Jameson in various "Spider-Man" movies.
The discovery leads to a unique opportunity for any movie executive brave enough. After all, both the multiverse and Brendan Fraser are incredibly popular at this moment in time. Forget "Across the Spider-Verse." We need "Across the Pauly Shore-Verse," where Link saves every reality by befriending every Pauly Shore there is. Bring back Ke Huy Quan as Kim from "Encino Man," and you have yourself a guaranteed billion-dollar hit.