Aladdin is still in our past, because the Genie is immortal. Those pop culture references were his ideas that he magically leaked through modern times. His immortality would allow him to last long enough.
“Westeros” can be set in “modern” times as a prequel, because such war and destruction could set back/devolve the world to look like the “Middle Ages” as we know it. Helps knowing it’s a fictional universe.
What Zie Sees 