Headcanon: Combating Completionism in Entertainment

Back in 2005, a few friends and I piled into my parents car to go watch the new Star Wars movie, Revenge of the Sith. When we stumbled out of the theater a few hours later, we chatted excitedly about what we had seen: Lightsaber duels, intergalactic drama, starship battles and the beginning of Darth Vader.

We were completely satisfied.

So it surprised me when I later learned that, for many viewers, the movie was not what they had hoped it would be. In fact, it seemed like most people hated it, along with its two prequel predecessors. The movies suffered quite a backlash, especially on the internet, with some fans even declaring that the prequels had “ruined their childhood.”

My friends and I were bewildered—we had grown up on the original trilogy of Star Wars and the prequels. We loved them both. Both trilogies were “Star Wars” to us. But to many others, that was not the case.

I remember wondering if these extreme reactions were the result of growing older. If my friends and I would one day—gasp!—join the dark side as our own childhoods were “ruined” by the next generation of Star Wars movies.

Well, I’m older now. And I haven’t necessarily loved everything offered in the most recent round of Star Wars content (to say nothing of the other beloved franchises Hollywood has resurrected to make a buck). But I’m pleased to report that my childhood is still very much intact—and a lot of that is thanks to headcanon.

Today’s Entertainment Landscape

If you’ve been around the internet long enough, you may have come across the term, “headcanon.” The word is popular enough that Merriam-Webster has a full page dedicated to it. But what is headcanon? What do people mean when they talk about it?

To understand that, we need to take a look at today’s entertainment landscape.

Over the past few decades, Hollywood has put an increasing emphasis on popular, pre-existing intellectual property, delivering a plethora of prequels, sequels, spinoffs, reboots and remakes. Just take a look at this year’s box office: From Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine to Despicable Me 4 and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, entertainment franchises are today’s movie titans. Even Twisters, while not a direct sequel to its 1996 forebear, still leaned heavily on existing IP.

And it’s not just movies. Franchises are big business in TV and video games as well. There’s a reason for that. Stories connect with us in a special way—either by transporting us to fantastical worlds, giving us characters we care about or thrilling us with drama and adventure. Some stories do all the above!

When we connect with these stories—whether it be in a movie, show or game—they stick with us. They become part of us. They may even help form the fabric of familial interactions. (I can’t tell you how often my family quotes movie lines to one another.)

So, when a new piece of entertainment comes out that’s tied to one of our beloved stories, we naturally want to experience it. But trying to recapture the magic of a prior experience is a tricky thing. There’s the danger that the new IP coming out might not live up to our lofty standards. Worse, any new additions might communicate a message contrary to our original understanding of the story or insert elements that are in opposition to our worldview. That can lead to some serious disappointment.

Fortunately, this is where headcanon can help.

What Is Headcanon?

“Headcanon is a slang term for someone’s personal interpretation of or belief about the details of a fictional story that aren’t part of the “official” account,” according to Dictionary.com.

Essentially, headcanon refers to what you choose to accept as part of a story or series. To give an example: If you’re a Star Wars original trilogy purist and you pretend the prequel and sequel trilogies don’t exist, that’s your headcanon. If I like the originals, plus the prequels and Andor, that’s my headcanon. Some people may love it all while others might hate it. That’s great—different people will have different tastes.

Now it can feel a little strange at first, acknowledging some films in a franchise while ignoring others. But headcanon can be a valuable media discernment tool for us and our families.

To start, it allows for a healthy distance between us and the stories we enjoy. We don’t have to stand upon the razor’s edge of fandom, worrying that the next installment of a beloved franchise might anger or disappoint us. You’ll never have to feel like something “ruined your childhood.” If you don’t care for something that occurs in a fictional universe, then you can ignore it. There’s no reason to lump it in with the earlier stories that you’ve enjoyed, particularly if newer entries are suddenly used as a conduit to push an agenda at odds with a biblical worldview.

But there’s another benefit to leveraging headcanon when it comes to your family’s entertainment choices—combating completionism.

Completionism and the Fear of Missing Out

Completionism, while not exclusive to the realm of entertainment and pop culture, can have a uniquely strong pull in this area. When we enjoy a franchise, we naturally want to return to that world. But there can also be a pressure to see everything and be in the know just to join the conversation. We don’t want to miss out.

This pressure isn’t only felt by us but our kids as well. They likely have their own collection of stories that they love and want to participate in—especially if their friends share those interests.

The problem is, not everything we want to experience or be involved in is beneficial to us. Paul touches on this in 1 Corinthians 10:23. We have freedom in Christ, but we are also called to make wise choices that build us up spiritually. And we need to teach our kids to make wise choices, too.

Headcanon as a Cure for Completionism

Let’s say your family has enjoyed many of the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Those movies are not without their content concerns (be sure to read Plugged In’s reviews for details on what those concerns may be), but there’s a lot of good to be found there, too, such as justice, heroism and self-sacrifice.

But what do you do when your Marvel-loving kids want to watch the newest (and decidedly not kid-friendly) film in the MCU, Deadpool & Wolverine? Your kids might feel like they’re missing out if you decide not to let them see it, but it would probably be better for them if they didn’t.

The pressure of completionism—to experience everything—can be powerful, but headcanon can help us (and our kids) resist it.

Headcanon allows us to de-emphasize the “need” to see every piece of content that’s related to stories we’re interested in. Particularly, as stated above, if that new content conflicts with our biblical worldview.

So if your kids are struggling with missing out on the newest installment of their favorite franchise, encourage them to come up with their own story in that universe. This can spark your kids’ creativity and get them to think more critically about what they want to see in a good story. Push them to be active participants in their entertainment, rather than letting it simply wash over them.

Differentiating Reality from Fiction

But there’s another detail that is incredibly important to communicate to our kids regarding headcanon. While there’s no inherent harm in headcanon (barring some salacious fanfiction tales that have spawned from the practice), believing something contrary to the official canon of an entertainment franchise is much different than disagreeing with the truth found in the Bible.

In fact, the term “canon” originated within the Church. It was originally used to indicate what writings were considered, as Paul describes in 2 Timothy, “breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” The books of the Bible make up the canon of Scripture.

Though this term has been repurposed for use in media and franchise entertainment, we should always remember its origin. Headcanon can be a helpful tool when used in the appropriate context—indeed, it can soften the blow of seeing a story (and characters we care about) go in a disheartening direction. It can even promote creativity and fun conversations, as you and your kids consider what you would have liked to see instead.

But the Bible is off-limits. It contains truth, hope, and instruction. We don’t get to be the editors of that.

What we think about Christ is much more important than our thoughts on a fictional universe. We must conform our minds to the truth of Jesus Christ revealed through Holy Scripture and Church teaching.

Remembering that, more than anything, will help us (and our families) make wise media choices.