Movies and franchises usually wrap up things nicely for their protagonists. For example,The Avengersmight save the day or a certain fashion magazine editor lands her dream job. But what about the characters who stand beside them?
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The endings of their stories can be a little mixed. Sometimes they’re just happy to make it to the end of the hero’s journey: sometimes they don’t even get that far. But that is not where their stories should end. From Happy Hogan of theMCUto Fat Amy fromPitch Perfect, these characters deserve a chance to shine in the form of their own spinoff movies.
Haymitch — ‘The Hunger Games’
As District 12’s sole surviving victor ofTheHunger Games, Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) is tasked with mentoring Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) 24 years after his victory (and all those reaped in between). Following the death of his family at the hands of President Snow, and the trauma he endured in the arena, Haymitch is drawn to drinking and isolation.
How did Haymitch get so jaded about the world? Obviously, winning a tournament to the death has something to do with it, but who was Haymitch before his Hunger Games? What was life like for his generation, the ones who submitted to the tyranny of the Capitol and its dystopian state? AHunger Gamesprequel is currently in the works, but a spinoff movie centered around Haymitch’s past could be just as interesting.
Emily Charlton — ‘The Devil Wears Prada’
Emily Bluntdelivers an excellent performance as Emily CharltoninThe Devil Wears Prada. Charlton isn’t a villain, not really: she is a young and ambitious woman within the world of fashion, but she’s naïve all the same. Not everyone can be a natural like her co-worker and rival Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway), but Emily did not deserve what happened to her throughout the film.
Spinoff movies centered around this caffeine-addicted workaholic might do her justice.Lauren Weisberger,the author of the novel from which the film is based, wrote a sequel where Emily got her redemption, entitledRevenge Wears Prada.Perhaps Emily can work with Andy and take over the fashion world together, or maybe she can find success elsewhere.
Mushu — ‘Mulan’
Mushu (Eddie Murphy) is a dragon, not a lizard, and he will let anyone who listens know. As Fa Mulan’s (Ming-Na Wen) “self-appointed” guardian inMulan, Mushu became a fan-favorite for his comedic quips and self-awareness throughout the movie.
His failure as the Fa family’s guardian spirit is mentioned only in passing — he failed to protect a soldier in the family from decapitation. Ever since, Mushu only hopes to gain back respect from his ancestral family by accompanying Mulan to war. So who was Mushu before the incident? What was his reputation within the family? A Mushu-centric spinoff might explain these things.
Severus Snape — ‘Harry Potter’
No one can portray Severus Snape better than the lateAlan Rickman. He came across as complex, emotionally cold, and downright villainous at times. However, Snape became a martyr of sorts in the end, proving that fans really did not know much about the mysterious Potions professor.
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Harry Potterexplained Snape’s involvement with various and opposing magical organizations. A spinoff film could do the character justice and, asone Redditor proposed, depict Snape’s time as Death Eater and the transition to being Dumbledore’s inside man. Who better to play Snape as a young, tortured wizard thanAdam Driver?
Quicksilver — ‘X-Men’
Evan Petershas proven that he can stand alone as theX-Men’sQuicksilver. But fans were shocked to see the actorportray Pietro Maximoff inWandaVision, especially because the Marvel Cinematic Universe already has their version of Quicksilver (portrayed byAaron Taylor-Johnson), who met his fate inAvengers: Age of Ultron.
But Peters' version of the speedster became the first X-Man to crossover into the MCU. Do the events ofX-Men: Days of Future Past— when Quicksilver first appeared — connect to the now-broken multiverse? Does this mean fans will get a cameo from Deadpool — another notable X-Men character with ties to the MCU — somewhere in Phase 4? A lot is uncertain right now, but a Quicksilver movie could help clear these questions up.
Janis Ian — ‘Mean Girls’
What ifMean Girlswas set in middle school? As fans would know, Janis Ian (Lizzy Caplan) and Regina George (Rachel McAdams) used to be best friends until the “queen bee” spread rumors that she is a lesbian. Though Janis’ reputation was tarnished, she developed her own creative flair and a personality separate from her fellow Plastics.
Consider a spinoff that takes place long before Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) arrived when the Burn Book was just a thought in Regina’s mind, and the trials of teenage drama were years away. Or better yet, a spinoff that follows Janis into adulthood and past high school. She is much more suited for the world outside the walls of Upper Darby High School anyway.
Patricia Hobart “Fat Amy” — ‘Pitch Perfect’
Throughout thePitch Perfecttrilogy, Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) was as hilarious as she was inspiring. “We’re 10 girls in a group that are all different sizes, nationalities, and backgrounds, and yet we come together to create something really great,” Wilsontold Collider in a 2015 interview.
That confidence is much-needed on screen. Perhaps Fat Amy can take notes on being a lead from Bumper Allen (Adam Devine), whose character has a spinoff TV series in development. Just imagine a Fat Amy, a decade later, teaching the next generation of acapella singers to love their voices and themselves.
Happy Hogan — ‘Iron Man’
Most non-superheroes within the MCU play the role of lovers, children, or government agents. But then there’s Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) longtime chauffeur, bodyguard, and friend.
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From saving Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) on multiple occasions to escorting Peter Parker (Gwyneth Paltrow) around upon Tony’s request, Happy plays an integral role for the Avengers and their loved ones. He’s appeared in everyIron Manmovie and showed up in subsequent Avengers films thereafter, but who is Happy Hogan? What secrets does he know about the MCU considering all that time spent with Tony?
Since its inception in 2001, theShrekfranchisehas grown into five movies, eight short films, and three television specials. Tragically, the movie’s original villain Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) is only featured in one of those.
Audiences love a good villain origin story (just look atJokerorCruella) and deserve an explanation as to how Duloc’s fearful leader came to be. Shrek may offer alternative lore to classic fairy tales, but Lord Farquaad’s story exists as a myth of its own kind.
Bucky Barnes — ‘The Avengers’
The closest fans have gotten to a Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) spinoff is the Disney+ seriesThe Falcon and the Winter Soldier. But even then, the show revolves around Sam Wilson’s (Anthony Mackie) rise to superhero status. Bucky may play a starring role, but this is not his story to tell.
Bucky, who is still healing from the torture he endured as the Winter Soldier, served a minimal purpose in the series other than providing an additional connection to the former Captain America. However, his legacy within the MCU is strong, having first appeared as far back inCaptain America: The First Avenger, and recently through references inBlack Widow. He even appeared in post-credit scenes for two different movies. With all that in mind, there’s a future for the Winter Soldier, hopefully in the form of a standalone feature.
