In Black Panther, Shuri was originally little more than a secondary character who was there to support T’Challa’s journey. in the upcoming November 11th release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, she is set to move from featuring in a sub-plot to headlining a film of her own.
Yet Shuri is far from the only character who deserves to rise from secondary to primary, and her plot wasn’t the only one deserving a film of its own. Many subplots have actually proven to be considerably more interesting than the overall film itself.
Ivan Drago’s Fall In Creed II
After losing to Rocky, Ivan Drago didn’t have the greatest life in the world. Driven to shame and poverty, he was forced to live vicariously through his son as he desperately searched for a return to glory. It was a subplot that was fascinating, and the dynamic between Ivan and Viktor was just as thrilling as the fights.
“I really loved Ivan Drago’s scenes in Creed II and wished there was more of his fall from grace after Rocky IV,” says Reddit user losthippo. While a spin-off is in the works, it would do well to focus on Ivan’s struggles after his loss to Rocky, as it can really show just how impactful the events of that fight were on his life.
Everything From The Matrix
The plot, setting, and themes of The Matrix still hold up today, yet there are some elements of the story that really should be explored in depth. Beneath the surface, there was an underlying subplot about the human-machines wars that desperately needs exploration through a prequel.
Reddit user SCUDDEESCOPE wants to see “the story of past versions of the Matrix, the fall of humanity and rise of the machines, the final battle and the creation of the first Matrix.” Since The Matrix only explored the pre-established reality of the Matrix, a chance to see it unfold in real-time would be incredible.
The Howling Commandos From The First Avenger
While the Marvel Cinematic Universe typically explores every character and subplot that it can, there is one storyline that they left on the cutting room floor. “There’s an entire movie or possibly a several season TV show in that little tiny bit we saw of the Howling Commandos in Captain America First Avenger,” says Reddit user CatOnABlueBackground.
While the Howling Commandos had considerable screentime, they really do deserve some major focus outside of montages and occasional fight scenes. They each need time to be fleshed out as characters and as a concept and their journey through Europe alongside Captain America could easily be a movie of its own.
The Arms Dealer In The Last Jedi
In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the Finn and Rose subplot has drawn major critique over the years, yet there were elements of it that deserve to be fleshed out. After all, with DJ introducing a complex plot to deal weapons to both the First Order and the Rebellion, there seemed to be an extraordinary amount of story potential.
“I’d love to see the ‘arms dealer’ leader with political ties to both, who is fueled by both, and ultimately drives all of the death happening in that universe,” says Redditor atlphonehome. DJ was one of the best Star Wars characters to appear in only one movie, and it was because he represented a side of the war that is rarely seen: the true neutrals. Exploring that more can bring some new life to the Star Wars universe.
A Prequel To Blade Runner
In Blade Runner, the story revolves around the idea of four replicants hiding among humanity and masquerading themselves along the way. While this provides the basis for the movie, the subplot of those four replicants seems like an amazing idea for a movie.
Fans should have the chance to see “the replicants overthrowing the colony and escaping to Earth, leading into the start of Blade Runner,” says Reddit user FinalDemise. With so much of the series revolving around the idea of the replicants, actually seeing the conditions that led to their violent assault would be an excellent opportunity. While Blade Runner is arguably the best sci-fi movie set on Earth, exploring other planets could be even more engaging.
The Chimpanzee In Nope
While the story of Nope revolved around a search for extraterrestrial life, the movie started with a rampaging chimpanzee, who happened to severely injure several others on a set of a TV show. After it stopped its rampage, the poor chimp was shot and killed by police.
“The story of the chimpanzee/television series was much more interesting than the main story,” says Redditor JunkyardWalrus. Seeing the bond that even the furious chimp had with Jupe was incredible, and it would be worth exploring that chimp’s history and life, leading up to and ending on that final fateful day.
Living Alone In Jurassic Park 3
On the island where dinosaurs were bred and raised, one boy found himself trapped on the island and struggling to survive by himself in Jurassic Park 3. “They ask the kid how he survived on the island alone for weeks and he waves it off, ‘You don’t wanna know.’ I do, actually. It would probably be a better movie than the one we got,” says Reddit user tfbillc.
While there have been books written about his journey, there hasn’t been a movie that explores just what happened to poor Eric. He was a supporting character with main character energy and really deserves a spin-off that can show how he survived, despite all odds. Even a simple surviving story like Cast Away or A Cry In The Wild could have done him well.
Frank T.J. Mackey In Magnolia
A drama centering around a series of deaths, Magnolia has rife potential for several spin-offs, given how rich its characters were. Yet one character, Frank Mackey, proved to be interesting enough that fans are begging to see a spin-off movie over 20 years later.
The son of a producer, Frank had family struggles that left him listless. He is “without a doubt one of the most complex and interesting fictional characters who happens to have an insane career trajectory,” describes Redditor FriendOfJax. A movie exploring how he came to be a motivational speaker could help show off the character’s strained relationship with Earl and his mother.
Every Plot With Ant-Man’s Luis
While Ant-Man was centered around Hank Pym and Scott Lang, a member of Ant-Man’s entourage, Luis, happened to steal the show. “That guy was so funny,” says Reddit user Content_Pool_1391. “I would had loved for that guy to have got his own show on Disney+.”
The fast-talking former criminal can easily carry a spin-off of his own, and his subplot of working with his team of security consultants could easily find its own home in the MCU. They can encounter security issues across the world, and Luis could easily serve as a fun and engaging lead. It can even address the abandoned MCU plot line of the missing Pym Particles, as Luis and the other X-Cons search for evidence.
Nazi Hunting In X-Men: First Class
A movie showing off how the X-Men first came together, X-Men: First Class featured Magneto hunting down the Nazis who tormented him in his childhood. When thinking of subplots that deserved movies of their own, Reddit user Aramor42 calls it the “first thing that came to mind.”
Getting to see Magneto engaging in detective work as he hunted down his enemies was brilliant, and it was thrilling to see him finally face the monsters from his youth. An entire film just showing off Magneto taking down Nazis would be exciting, and it could help advance the character, as he claws back his autonomy, while Charles Xavier frantically tries to stop him.
