Summary
- WCKD had at least four different mazes, according to The Scorch Trials, setting up a perfect reboot story for The Maze Runner franchise.
- The original movie trilogy doesn't spend enough time in the maze, making a reboot focusing on different maze test subjects an intriguing idea.
- Returning to the roots of the series by exploring new narratives about WCKD's experiments could draw fans back to the Maze Runner universe.
Maze Runner movies adapted the YA dystopian series for the big screen, following Dylan O'Brien's Thomas as he wakes up in a mysterious maze with no memory. From there, he's thrown into a dangerous world where it's not entirely clear who the enemy is. Thomas and his friends quickly discover that things aren't much better outside the maze, and The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure see them navigating the outside world.
That world is full of disease and violence, and WCKD's attempts to help turn out to be more harmful than beneficial. The Scorch Trials reveals that the organization behind Thomas' maze cannot be trusted, even if their initial intentions are positive. Through this revelation, the sequel sets up the perfect way to return to The Maze Runner franchise without returning to the books' story or crafting an unrelated sequel.
10 Biggest Book Changes In The Maze Runner Movies
While the Maze Runner movies took inspiration from the source material, the franchise changed storylines and character arcs from the books.
Maze Runner's Reboot Should Be About The Other Mazes From The Scorch Trials
WCKD Had 4 Mazes With Different Environments
The Scorch Trials reveals that WCKD had four mazes in the Maze Runner movies, and this revelation perfectly sets up the franchise's reboot. According to the film, the Glades is Site A, and it has a different environment than the rest of WCKD's creations. The second maze — also called Maze B — contains all girls and a far more frigid climate than the Glades. Less is known about the remaining mazes, as they aren't pulled from Dashner's source material. There are at least two more, and the mystery surrounding them makes them an ideal setting for a reboot story.
The Maze Runner can easily take one of these settings and run with it, depicting how an entirely new group of characters copes with their circumstances.
Judging by the setup of Maze B, WCKD's other mazes come with different climates and new threats. The Maze Runner can easily take one of these settings and run with it, depicting how an entirely new group of characters copes with their circumstances. This would eliminate the need to bring back the The Maze Runner 4.
Maze Runner 4 Following Other Maze Test Subjects Can Return The Franchise To Its Roots
The Movie Trilogy Doesn't Spend Enough Time In The Maze
Using the mazes mentioned in The Scorch Trials for the Maze Runner reboot would avoid remaking or contradicting the original narrative. However, its benefits extend beyond that. It would also bring the franchise back to its roots by telling a different story about WCKD's experiments. In truth, the movies don't spend enough time exploring the Gladers' maze, as they escape the experiment at the end of the first installment. The premise is intriguing, though, and it warrants further inspection. Digging into another maze will allow this exploration, reminding viewers why The Maze Runner was so popular in the first place.
- Created by
- James Dashner
- First Film
- The Maze Runner
- Cast
- Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Walton Goggins, Nathalie Emmanuel
- Movie(s)
- The Maze Runner, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
- Character(s)
- Thomas (Maze Runner), Teresa (Maze Runner), Newt (Maze Runner), Minho (Maze Runner), Frypan (Maze Runner), Ava Paige
Conceived as a book series by author James Dashner, The Maze Runner is a sci-fi multimedia franchise that gained mainstream popularity after the release of its first of three films. The series focuses on a group of young men trapped in a maze with no knowledge of life outside their strange prison. The survivors, led by protagonist Thomas, attempt to piece together their shattered memories and find a way out of the towering maze.
