10 Black Supporting Characters Who Need a Spinoff

1. Storm (X-Men Franchise)

Having to juggle multiple characters, the minds behind the X-Men film series seemed to consistently fail to give the Storm the attention she deserved as a character. Between casting two light-skinned actresses to play the famously dark-skinned heroine, downplaying her weather manipulation abilities, and skipping over her regal backstory, neither incarnation of Ororo Munroe was as electrifying as the bountiful source material depicts her to be. Considering the character of Wolverine was given three full solo movies, in addition to the many films he lead as the main character, there is no reason why Storm, now creatively owned by Disney and the MCU cannot take center stage in a project. Storm could either have a much deserved lead role in an X-Men or Black Panther project (she’s had a famed romance with the latter in the comics), or can have a standalone where she faces off against her nemesis the Shadow King. As one of, if not the most, famous Black superheroes, Storm could easily attract a large audience, as long as we see her in her full glory.

2. Eric (Sex Education)

Although Sex Education focuses on Otis and his relationship with his sex therapist mother, Eric’s sickening fashion, hilarious one-liners, and powerful backstory have more than stolen the show. Ncuti Gatwa’s performance is so brilliant and energetic, that he could easily carry a spinoff, and a story about a gay teen with extremely Christian Nigerian/Ghanaian parents certainly could strike a chord with many queer viewers who have experiences with religious parents. I also believe that Eric deserves more than a closeted-bully-turned-lover storyline that we’ve seen before, and a solo series would give Eric more than enough room to explore multiple relationships as well as a budding drag career.

3. Mercedes Jones (GLEE)

They took her tots, split cast her as Maria, and constantly made her play second fiddle to Rachel. Hell to the no! Since we first heard singer RILEY effortlessly belt out Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” in her audition for the Glee Club, it was clear that this powerhouse was destined for greatness. Yet it seemed like the show was more than happy to put her in the background. Mercedes’ storylines either seemingly dropped (remember her friendship with Quinn?) or focused on the fact that she wasn’t getting enough attention without doing anything to remedy that. In Season 3, Mercedes fought for the role in West Side Story, only for the role to be given to both her and Rachel, then started her own Glee Club, only to be robbed of a win at Sectional’s. Although the character rightfully earned a recording contract in LA following graduation, we did not get to see Mercedes in the big city the way we did with the New York crew. Amber Riley has since gone on to play Effie White in the West End production of Dreamgirls, and debut an excellent new R&B Album, so why not a new series where she can show off her vocals and acting chops without having to share the screen?

4. Mo (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist)

When the musical comedy Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist cast Broadway alum and “Kill The Lights” singer Alex Newell as genderfluid DJ Mo, they took a bold step for representation. But why not take it one step further by making Mo the star of the show? Mo’s attitude, singing voice, and unapologetic sense of self has made him more than spinoff potential, but the episode “Zoey’s Extraordinary Neighbor” gave us a more complex look at who Mo really is. We saw Mo struggle to balance his love of singing in church with wanting to present himself in a way that’s true to his gender identity. The storyline was much more compelling than the typical love triangle story that Zoey goes through, and was punctuated by Alex Newell’s jaw-dropping performance of “This Little Light of Mine”. Why not give the most musical cast member the same musical ability as Zoey?

5. Frozone (The Incredibles)

Honey, where is my spinoff? That’s the more accurate question that sidekick Frozone should be asking. Lucius Best, is always the groomsmen and never the groom in the Incredibles movies. But Frozone has all the charisma of a leading man. Pixar has not shied away in the past from giving spin-offs to popular characters, such as Dory from Finding Nemo or Mater from Cars. They even announced a Buzz Lightyear solo project slated for 2022. In a world where superhero content in king, why not add Frozone to the list, and give him and his hilarious wife Honey (who still has only been a voice offscreen) an action packed thriller of their own. Frozone’s ice powers have always been visually striking, and with a voice actor like Samuel L. Jackson, the character certainly has the star power to take the lead.

6. Monica Rambeau (MCU)

Even as a child in the movie Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau was destined for greatness. Young Monica stole hearts thanks to Akira Akbar’s charming performance, so we were more than excited to see that Chi-Raq’s Teyonah Parris would be playing an adult version of Monica in the series WandaVision. She proved to be a real force of a character, and her tragic introduction to the series immediately made us feel for her. As of the most recent episode, Monica has just developed her comic book powers in one of the most epic origin sequences onscreen, meaning we will be seeing her as the superhero Photon. Although she has been announced for Captain Marvel 2, Monica is more than suited to carry her own film or Disney+ Series.

7/8. Prudence and Ambrose (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina)

Any fan of this dark Sabrina reboot knows that Sabrina is far from the best character. And while Jaz Sinclair’s Roz has had quite a journey on the show, this magical couple has a wealth of potential that needs to be explored. Both Ambrose and Prudence have emerged as the style icons of the series, and there is still a huge amount of story to explore with these two. Prudence’s revenge against Lord Blackwood felt like an afterthought, and frankly we still don’t know exactly how Ambrose is related to the Spellman’s.

9. John Diggle (Arrowverse)

This spinoff may be a distinct possibility thanks to a huge Easter Egg in the Arrow finale. John Diggle, an original character created for the show, has become crucial now only to Arrow, but also to the many CW spinoffs connected to the show. Before he was Oliver Queen’s trusted friend and bodyguard, John Diggle already had a wealth of experiences as an agent of the organization A.R.G.U.S. Since joining ”Team Arrow”, Diggle sparked up a career as a vigilante, both as the Suicide Squad member Freelancer, and the costumed hero Spartan. Throughout the series, he remained a strong core member of the team, and in many ways was the moral compass. It was no surprise when he received a Green Lantern ring in the finale of the show, setting him up for a role as part of the intergalactic space force. However, only time will tell if this is the last we see of Diggle, if he will show up in the other DC CW shows such as The Flash or the new series Superman & Lois, or if he will be heading to HBO Max for the teased Green Lantern series.

10. Nikki Wood (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Admittedly this one is a bit of a wildcard but hear me out. The character of Nikki Wood, a slayer in the 1970’s, was initially a one off slayer that Spike had defeated. However, in Season 7, she was fleshed out more, being one of the few slayers to live long enough to have a family. With a distinct blaxploitation look, and the reassurance from Sarah Michelle Gellar that a Buffy reboot is not happening, Nikki Wood could be an excellent candidate for a spinoff. With the right creative team behind her, Nikki could be an extremely compelling character, fighting off vampires in NYC all while trying to raise her son Robin. It would be especially meaningful if one of the show’s few POC characters could take on a life of her own in a fresh new series.