Before Marvel successfully turned the concept of a cinematic universe into the mainstream standard, Kevin Smith created his own with the View Askewniverse. Though it's hard to say this was always Smith's plan, he managed to build an interconnected world through his independent movies.
In Smith's world of stoners, slackers, and laidback Gen Xers find themselves in intersect in the smallest ways while also colliding in some big ways. But like any good cinematic universe, the View Askewniverse movies weren’t actually released in their proper chronological order and fans will have to sort through the movies to get the full picture.
Updated on October 15th, 2021 by Colin McCormick: While it may not be as popular as the MCU the View Askewniverse still has plenty of fans. Kevin Smith movies feature his distinct voice and sense of humor that have struck a chord with many people, including on his various podcasts. But with the recent release of Jay and Silent Bob Reboot and the upcoming Clerks III, the View Askewniverse seems to be entering a phase of looking back, possibly signaling an end in sight. For fans of this connected world, the timeline of the View Askewniverse shows how far it has come.
Mallrats (1995)
• Available on Peacock and Showtime
Smith's second feature Mallrats builds on the aesthetic he became known for and also features Smith's first collaboration with Ben Affleck. It is a simple comedy about two friends who attempt to get over their recent breakups while hanging out at the mall.
That role goes to Julie Dwyer, whose wake plays a major part in Clerks. Mallrats reveals that Julie died from a fatal embolism after she swam too many laps in an attempt to lose weight before appearing on Truth or Date. She's also Dante's ex-girlfriend and was a friend of Alyssa from Chasing Amy.
Clerks (1994) and Clerks: The Lost Scene (2004)
• Clerks is available on HBO Max
It is interesting to see how such a small independent movie like Clerks started a cinematic universe. The movie that gave birth to the View Askewniverse may not be the first chapter but it’s the epicenter for those that followed it. The Quick Stop convenience store and the events come up in several other movies.
The Lost Scene, which shows Dante and Randal's disastrous visit to Julie's wake, takes place on the same day that everything in Clerks happens. The wake wasn't shot for the original movie due to a limited budget, hence its animated incarnation a decade later.
Chasing Amy (1997)
• Available on HBO Max
Perhaps the most acclaimed of Smith's movies, Chasing Amy stars Ben Affleck as a creator of the Bluntman and Chronic comic book, based on his friends Jay and Silent Bob. While the movie focuses on Affleck's love story when he falls in love with a gay woman, but the comic book creations become very important to the cinematic universe going forward.
Bluntman and Chronic are seen climbing the pop culture ladder in the subsequent movies, eventually landing a cinematic adaptation. Chasing Amy also features Jay and Silent Bob heading to Illinois, establishing how they get involved in the Biblical shenanigans of Dogma.
Dogma (1999)
Though the other View Askewniverse movies had been relatively grounded, Smith book some big swings with his controversial biblical comedy, Dogma. The movie stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as renegade angels whose plan to re-enter heaven could cause an end to all things.
Along with a descendant of Jesus Christ and an apostle, Jay and Silent Bob become involved in the mission to save the world. At the end of the movie, they decide to return to normalcy by going back to the Quick Stop perfectly setting up their next adventure.
Clerks: The Animated Series (2000 – 2001) and The Flying Car (2002)
• Clerks: The Animated Series is available on Hoopla and The Flying Car is available on YouTube
The View Askewniverse stepped into the animation world with Clerks: The Animated Series while The Flying Car reunited Dante and Randal for a short film.
In their cartoon, Dante and Randal make some references to how they’ve gotten a bit older since their cinematic debut while the fact that the Quick Stop is still standing means it takes place before certain future installments. Their live-action argument about flying cars could plausibly take place within the cartoon’s continuity, only less outrageous and crazy than any of the six episodes.
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
• Available on HBO Max
Much like how the solo movies in the MCU eventually lead to a team-up Avengers movie, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back feels like the culmination of the entire View Askewniverse up to that point. It follows the titular stoner heroes as they make their way across the country to stop a Bluntman and Chronic movie from being made.
The movie makes multiple references to the movies that came before it on the timeline while the events in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back are mentioned in later movies.
Clerks II (2006)
• Available on Pluto TV and Vudu
Smith returned to the movie that started his career and marks the first true sequel within the View Askewniverse. After Randal accidentally burns down the Quick Stop store, he and Dante get jobs at a fast-food restaurant where, of course, Jay and Silent Bob begin hanging out.
While it looked like a curtain call for the View Askewniverse at the time, Clerks II instead gave new beginnings to the original gang and Becky Scott – their newest member and Dante’s wife. It also seemed to ignite Smith's interest in returning to some of his old characters.
Jay & Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie (2013)
• Available on Prime Video
The View Askewniverse delivers yet another animated adventure with Jay & Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie. Though the movie prominently features the Quick Stop, the fact that it is rebuilt by the end of Clerks II allows this movie to take place afterward.
Also, the fact that Bluntman and Chronic fight supervillains like the Cocknocker firmly places their second animated romp after Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back since these characters only appear in the later parts of the View Askewniverse.
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)
• Available on Prime Video
While the View Askewniverse may have been a pioneer in terms of building a cinematic universe, it followed the established Hollywood trend of reboots in Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. The movie followed the same basic premise of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back only with the titular heroes attempting to stop a reboot of Bluntman and Chronic this time around.
The movie features plenty of familiar faces from throughout the View Askewniverse while also allowing the central characters to grow more into adults with Jay discovering he has a daughter leading to some of the most heartfelt moments in the View Askewniverse.
Clerks III
The View Askewniverse seems to be continuing on with the announcement of Clerks III with the whole team returning. The movie will reportedly follow Randal, after having a heart attack, deciding to make a movie based on his time at the Quick Stop.
The movie will be an interesting looking at the older lives of these characters and how they have changed over the years. It will also be interesting to see if this is the movie that finally brings the View Askewniverse to a close.