8 Years Ago Today, South Park Simultaneously Slayed the MCU Movie Formula & Shamelessly Promoted a Video Game

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As a huge fan of Mel Brooks, I was so excited to hear *Spaceballs 2* is actually happening! It feels like forever since the original came out, and honestly, it’s always been easy to make fun of big franchises like *Star Wars* – *Spaceballs* did it perfectly back then. But now, it sounds like they’re not just going after Lucasfilm. The teaser hinted they’ll be taking on the Marvel Cinematic Universe too, which, let’s face it, has totally blown past *Star Wars* in terms of how much stuff they’re releasing. It’s a brave move, though! A lot of people have tried to poke fun at Marvel, so *Spaceballs 2* really needs to bring its A-game to stand out.

In October 2017, *South Park* released an episode specifically criticizing how Marvel Studios makes its movies. The episode, titled “Franchise Prequel,” was generally successful, offering current commentary on the entertainment industry and the spread of false information. However, unlike typical *South Park* episodes, this one ended by advertising an upcoming *South Park* project, mirroring a tactic often used by Marvel.

Cartman and Co. Want to Start Their Own Cinematic Universe in “Franchise Prequel”

The episode, “Franchise Prequel,” starts off playfully mimicking DC’s *The Flash* with a superhero origin story for Jimmy. But the focus quickly turns to Marvel as Jimmy tries to get involved with the “Coon and Friends” cinematic universe. The boys are hoping to convince a studio to let them create a three-part series, and they start by reaching out to Netflix, which is currently approving a lot of content. This makes sense, as Marvel’s *Defenders Saga* did very well on the platform.

When Professor Chaos, the heroes’ biggest enemy, starts spreading rumors online, everyone stops wanting to work with Coon and Friends. The team decides to handle things themselves and defeats both Chaos and his partner, Mark Zuckerberg. The fight leaves them exhausted, and when they return to their headquarters, the atmosphere has changed. Like the Marvel Cinematic Universe often does when facing challenges, Coon and Friends try to find a new direction. However, the leaders can’t agree on a plan, and they announce a civil war is beginning. But don’t look for a story about it in the South Park history books – this conflict happens entirely within a video game.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole Continues the Civil War Story

If you’re curious about what happens after the events of *South Park: The Stick of Truth*, you’ll need to play its sequel, *South Park: The Fractured But Whole*. You play as the New Kid, a character not seen in the prequel, and quickly get caught up in a conflict with Cartman. He’s trying to figure out everything he can about the superhero group, the Freedom Pals, and their plans. However, things don’t go as Cartman expects – the Freedom Pals are more inclusive and aren’t interested in keeping the superhero world to themselves, which ruins his scheme.

The story of *The Fractured But Whole* gets increasingly bizarre, as the kids discover they can time travel using… well, their farts! They use this ability to try and prevent Cartman’s secret identity from causing chaos in town. Despite sounding completely ridiculous – even for *South Park* – the game is surprisingly enjoyable and is still highly regarded for its clever writing and fun gameplay. It proves that even blatant self-promotion, especially within a show known for constantly hinting at what’s coming next, can actually be a good strategy.

South Park is streaming on Paramount+.

What are your thoughts on the “Franchise Prequel” being connected to *South Park: The Fractured But Whole*? Share your opinions in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-10-11 18:42