Pixar's Lightyear is on the way, with the movie providing a more fleshed-out take on Toy Story deuteragonist Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, the hero of the Gamma Quadrant. While this isn't the first time the adventures of Buzz Lightyear have been given a spotlight, the new take on the character has fans excited.
The anticipation is likely to send Pixar devotees into daydreams about what other secondary characters from the studio's popular movies could their own stories. While Buzz Lightyear is the most obvious candidate for such a spinoff, there are other characters who equally could do with their own starring vehicles at some point.
The Thrilling Three (The Incredibles)
The Incredibles has the most in-depth lore, thus it also has the most potential for a spinoff. If one were to look at the bonus features, they'd find a menu showing bios of the different supers cataloged by the NSA, which also discusses the different superhero teams of the world.
Of those teams, The Thrilling Three, consisting of Gazerbeam, Apogee, and Dynaguy (later replaced by The Phlange after his death) is the most interesting, as it easily has the most history to it. A movie depicting the rise, fall, and eventual disbanding of The Thrilling Three may not seem like it'd be entertaining for kids, but it could work with the right script.
Boo (Monster's, Inc.)
the cast got a sequel series, but one key character in the film has been left in the dust and that is Boo. The little girl who Sully and Mike went out of their way to protect has seemingly been forgotten about by Pixar, but surely her story doesn't end with Sully simply returning her to her home.
What was Boo's life after being exposed to the world of the monsters? Did she and Sully ever reunite? Questions like this have haunted Pixar fans for decades since the movie came out, so it might be high time for the studio to give Boo a movie just to satiate those fans.
Captain McCrea (Wall-E)
For a movie about a post-apocalyptic dystopia, Wall-E ends on a very optimistic note, as when the patrons of The Axiom return to Earth, they vow to start anew, but it would be interesting to see how far they've come. Naturally, a film of that nature needs a main character and the best candidate is Captain McCrea.
The captain of the Axiom is certainly the focal point of the movie's message about consumerism, but he is still a very likable and affable character, so seeing him return would be a treat. That said, he would have a struggle on his hands trying to lead humanity, something that could be truly compelling to witness on the big screen.
Russell (Up)
a movie that deals with serious issues, has its lighthearted elements, and Russell is one of them. Russell essentially serves as a tool that helps to reinstate Carl Fredricksen's optimism which was lost after the ing of his wife.
It would be interesting to see what became of Russell after he and Carl returned from Paradise Falls, as well as what adventures he and Dug went on. While the ing of actor Ed Asner means that Carl won't be along for the ride, Russell's further adventures could be a blast.
Edna Mode (The Incredibles)
In the mundanely fantastical world of The Incredibles, Edna Mode is the shot of caffeine that hits viewers like a truck. The character's eccentric nature and bombastic personality helped her stand out from the other characters, leading to her stealing the spotlight in both The Incredibles and Incredibles 2.
Edna Mode is Pixar's best side character, as when people with explosive personalities interact with her, they suddenly are thrust out of her comfort zone. There is always the chance that giving her a movie would diminish her appeal, but the idea of a superhero movie about fashion would be too bizarre to up.
The Circus Bug (A Bug's Life)
While Pixar has produced classic after classic, their second film, A Bug's Life, has kind of been forgotten about. That isn't to say it doesn't have any worth, quite the opposite in fact, as the movie has some of the studio's most underrated characters.
Among those characters are The Circus Bugs, consisting of Heimlich, Gypsy, Slim, Francis, Tuck, Roll, Rosie, Dim, and Manny, a group of misfit bugs that team with the main character Flik to stop the evil grasshoppers. With Flik and Princess Ata getting their happy ending, perhaps a sequel or spin-off could focus on The Circus Bugs.
Frozone (The Incredibles)
Other than the Parr family, Frozone is The Incredibles' most beloved hero. Pardon the pun, but Frozone is just cool, something that sets him apart from his friend Mr. Incredible, who often feels like he barely has things put together.
A minor issue with The Incredibles is that it doesn't feel like Frozone or his wife Honey have a life outside of the Parr family. A Frozone-centric movie could serve to flesh out his character and his relationship with his spouse. He also has a potential main villain, as Frozone mentions the villain Baron Von Ruthless in a conversation with Mr. Incredible.
Woody (Toy Story)
With Buzz Lightyear getting a movie, why shouldn't his Toy Story cohort? Woody is a key element to the Toy Story narrative, with his journey throughout the movies having a cohesive beginning, middle, and recently, an ending.
A Woody-centric film could go in a few directions, it could either follow Woody and Bo Peep rounding up lost toys or it could be a more classic western that features adaptations of Woody, Jessie, Bullseye, and Stinky Pete. Either way, seeing the rootinest, tootinest, shootinest, hootinest cowboy around one more time will put smiles on many a face.
