u/Fsa120303

I’ve noticed an odd trend within certain trilogies where the first film serves as a stand-alone story with a clear beginning, middle, and end; but the second and third films are two halves of one long story.

Think (presumably) Spider-Verse, Pirates of the Caribbean, or even Back To The Future. Each series’ first entry is its own thing; whereas the second leaves on a cliffhanger with story threads tied up in the last film.

Is this a real trend or am I making something out of nothing? Are there any other examples of this kind of story structure?