Dark Matter Could Be the Start of Something Bigger
Dark Matter may be a standalone story but the show could be the cornerstone of a shared universe of live-action Blake Crouch adaptations. While Dark Matter is a standalone story, the live-action adaptation contains hints and sci-fi tropes that make it perfect for crossovers with other stories by Blake Crouch.
The possibility of a Dark Matter season 2 is on the horizon and the possibilities open up even more. The author has written an impressive array of Sci-fi books that could be ripe for the picking and combined with Dark Matter lore.
Dark Matter’s Multiverse Trope Allows Other Blake Crouch Stories to Happen Within the Same Canon
Both versions of Dark Matter are set within an infinite Multiverse. So, all that needs to happen for other Blake Crouch books to share their continuity with Dark Matter is for them to unfold in a universe that just hasn't yet been seen onscreen. Even within Dark Matter canon, it's possible that the Dark Matter book could be happening concurrently with the events of the show – just in a parallel dimension.
Along with all the other bizarre and macabre universes seen by Jason in Dark Matter, there could be an individual reality for each Crouch book that simply hasn't been visited yet. The only other Blake Crouch adaptation so far has been Wayward Pines, which ran for 2 seasons from 2015 to 2016. Wayward Pines is set so far in the future that it's impossible to convincingly tie into this possibility of a shared universe.
Dark Matter Has Already Teased 2 More Blake Crouch Adaptations
Dark Matter season 1 makes no clear attempt to reference other works by Blake Crouch until deep into its run. In episode 7, “In the Fires of Dead Stars,” an Easter Egg in the back of a shot mentions Upgrade and Summer Frost by name. The third title on the board is It's a Wonderful Life, which Dark Matter has often been compared to.
So, this trio of stories could be interpreted to be the first three Crouch books to be adapted by Apple Tv+. Dark Matter is perhaps Crouch's most high-profile novel, so it makes sense that it was produced for the big screen ahead of the others.
Crouch Has Been Vocal About Another Novel He's Trying to Have Adapted
While many of the comments on Blake Crouch's Instagram posts were from fans of the Dark Matter book who were voicing their excitement, they also kept mentioning another novel of his that they'd love to see adapted. Blake Crouch's Recursion was first published in 2019, and the author sounds as though he's trying to get that project into production too.
Blake Crouch responded to several comments about Recursion receiving the live-action treatment, and it was mostly with the sentiment that he agreed and that he shared the desire. Recursion is in a very similar vein to Dark Matter, but focuses on time travel rather than hopping between dimensions.
Why a Blake Crouch Sci-Fi Universe Would Work
One of the biggest issues with modern Multiverse sagas is that the crossovers happen far too often. What tends to happen is that the crossovers happen more and more frequently, as standalone stories don't tend to hold the attention of modern audiences after the possibility of a broader narrative has been confirmed.
A universe built on Crouch's novels could avoid this mistake by having his stories converge far less frequently. To address the superpowered elephant in the room, so many multiverse stories tend to be set in similar locations, like different versions of New York City. Crouch's novels don't have that issue. So, all the live-action adaptations could remain in isolation and only cross paths when absolutely necessary.
