Regina and Rodrick. Jack Frost and Elsa. Dean Winchester and Sherlock. Cross-fandom shipping is SO back. What started as an idea has transformed into edits, art, and fan fiction.
Some commenters say it’s a “recession indicator,” while others say nature is healing. Either way, we’re living for it.
Jayne Turner – Staff Writer
What is Cross Fandom Shipping?
The concept involves combining characters from various fictional worlds to explore their potential interactions through art, writing, and discussions. It blends narratives in unique ways that bring fandoms together. It may even spark debate if the ship isn’t picture perfect.
Blending two fandoms creates a new fandom in and of itself. People may even become fans of the ship by consuming edits without being part of either fandom.
Icy Couple Heats Up Fandoms
When “Rise of the Guardians” was released in 2012 and “Frozen” in 2013, Fandoms were quick to draw similarities between Jack Frost and Elsa. They have shared powers; the ability to manipulate ice and snow. Jack is a mischievous free spirit who loves going on adventures and creating joy for the children of the town using his powers. Elsa, on the other hand, is reserved, cautious, and responsible. She struggles with self-isolation due to her fear of hurting others with her powers. Fans have noticed the similarities between the two characters and enjoy imagining how they might uplift and support each other in a romantic relationship.
Their shared winter aesthetic makes for vivid and imaginative art, often featuring swirling snowstorms and elaborate ice sculptures. Elsa is a source of grounding for Jack, while he brings out her fun side.
While not all cross ships are as fleshed out as Jack Frost and Elsa, there is no shortage of unique pairings.
Remember Barbenheimer?
In the Summer of 2023, fans anticipated the release of the Barbie movie, while others were on the edge of their seats waiting for Oppenheimer. This cultural phenomenon began since the movies had the same release date. And although the movies and their characters couldn’t be more different, the cinematic event known as Barbenheimer led to a cross ship of the same name. Though this ship is less often romantic in nature, fandoms still like exploring the stark contrast between aesthetics. Imagine, Barbie in Oppenheimer’s era, or Oppenheimer in Barbieland. Imagine, black cat boyfriend, golden retriever girlfriend. It’s so bad, it’s good.
Read about this celebrity couple that had an IRL meet cute!
Diary of a Mean Girl
This most recent cross ship has taken the internet by storm. Regina George, the queen bee, it girl from Mean Girls and Rodrick Heffley, the rebellious rockstar older brother from Diary of a Wimpy Kid. While on the surface the pairing may seem like a mismatch, fans are digging deep to prove that these two are the OTP. The internet has determined that these two are totally each others’ types. Regina is very concerned with her status at school, Rodrick is not. He helps her loosen up a bit. He’s the kind of guy that grosses her out, but she’s inexplicably attracted to.
The characters are canonically both in high school, which makes the creation of seamless video edits a breeze.
Since Regina is the most popular girl in school and Rodrick is kind of a loser, fans have been making edits about them being in a secret relationship, underscored by Dirty Little Secret by The All-American Rejects. This ship brings early-2000’s nostalgia to TikTok. It’s totally fetch.
Looking to explore another side of TikTok? Explore Booktok, you may just find a new ship to obsess over.
The resurgence of cross fandom ships has fans feeling excited and creative. Cross fandom ships foster collaboration and community, two pillars of fandoms.
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Author: Jayne Turner is a freelance writer from Orange, California. She has a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience with an emphasis on language and cognition. She has ten years of musical theatre experience and a lifelong love of reading. Utterly excited by the brain, she brings a fresh Gen Z perspective to the topics that intrigue us most.
