Thirteen years ago,Dan Harmonbrought us one of thebest sitcoms to ever be madeand, within the course of that show, built a legacy that centered around the idea of “six seasons and a movie.” Well, the time has finally come to fulfill that legacy as Peacock has officially announced that theCommunitymovie is on its way in 2023. And you may’t have aCommunitymovie without the amazing side characters that made this show so great.
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Now, while the characters in the main study group are who people typically fawn over, it’s the multitude of side characters that truly give the world ofCommunityits depth. Whether it be incredible recurring side characters like Garrett (Erik Charles Nielsen) and Leonard (R.I.P.Richard Erdman), or lesser-seen characters like Buddy (Jack Black) and the late, greatBetty White’s Professor June Bauer, their inclusion is what made this series the beloved fan-favorite show it became.
Alex “Star-Burns” Osbourne
Star-Burns (Dino Stamatopoulos) was one of themost unique and memorable charactersfrom the series, whether because of his stylish facial hair, or his ever-present top hat. He was the local on-campus drug dealer, and even faked his own death at one time.
To see the now 50-year-old Star-Burns still hanging out around Greendale, trying to sell drugs, or maybe even hawking some stolen textbooks or counterfeit school merch, would be a perfect continuation for this character. Although, seeing that he completely turned his life around and is a respected member of society now would also be rather interesting.
Professor Ian Duncan
The incredibly talentedJohn Oliver(host ofLast Week Tonight with John Oliver) brought life to the criminally underused character of Professor Duncan, head of Greendale’s psychology department, and former anthropology instructor. As a drinking buddy of Jeff Winger (Joel McHale), he had a bit more of a connection to the main group than most other side characters.
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Duncan’s scenes always stood out, making fans crave more of him throughout the series, no doubt due to his undeniable chemistry with anyone he worked with. Whether he was sparring with Jeff and trying to screw him over, or pitching in with the study group to help save Greendale, the charm just oozed out of him. It would be no real shock to see him still teaching at Greendale all these years later.
Garrett Lambert
If you’ve ever watched the show and have heard a loud, shrill, high-pitched voice, it was most likely Garrett. Played by the hilarious Erik Charles Nielsen, Garrett was a staple around Greendale for the entirety of the series. He took on so many different roles around campus that it seemed like he could do just about anything.
Whether he was playing aCGI alien in a moviedirected by Abed (Danny Pudi), participating in a school-wide paintball game, or marrying his, unbeknownst to him, cousin Stacy (Erin McGathy), Garrett was always around to liven up the show in some weird way. A great way to showcase him in the upcoming film would be to have yet another “Save Garrett” rally, or maybe we could even get something as simple as a baby shower for him and his pregnant cousin/wife.
POP, POP! You can’t have a party, or aCommunitymovie, without the one-man party himself, Magnitude (Luke Youngblood). Though he only says one thing, this is a character that has endeared himself onto the masses as one of the most likable characters from the show.
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A logical career path for Magnitude would be the owner of an entertainment company. Think Entertainment 720 fromParks & Recreation, but managed better. Perhaps the Dean could hire his company to put on an “8-Year Anniversary” party to lure the study group all back to Greendale one more time. Hilarity would ensue.
Dean Spreck
It wouldn’t beCommunitywithout the head of Greendale’s rival school, City College, coming in to try and ruin things. Dean Spreck (Jordan Black) always seemed to have it out for Greendale, or more specifically, Dean Pelton (Jim Rash). It’s never confirmed, but many believe that histormenting of Dean Peltonis some sort of response to a past, possibly romantic, history between the two of them, which could be explored in the movie.
The last we see of Dean Spreck is him in his office, laughing manically over some blueprints of a giant mechanical spider, of which we never see the resolution. That would be a great way to bring him back into the fold, as it would presumably take a while for him to build this giant machine. It will have been ten years since this moment, and that could have led Dean Pelton into a false sense of security. And a giant mechanical spider would be an epic, movie-level, and equally insane, set piece to include.
Todd Jacobson
One of the meekest, and most unassuming characters in the show, Todd (David Neher) actually had so much more going on than most give him credit for. He was a highly decorated Army veteran who served in the Iraq War, a husband and father of two little girls, and, after being honorably discharged, enrolled at Greendale because of a promise he made to his late father that he would graduate college.
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But what if he wasn’t able to fulfill that promise like he thought, and was still a student there… twelve years later. He could be part of the new study group, just as Jeff had envisioned, and it would make for some pretty humorous interactions with the main characters.
Annie’s Boobs
This may seem like an odd one, but Troy’s (Donald Glover) former pet capuchin monkey would be a great one to have return. Troy first got Annie’s Boobs during the chicken finger episode, but after Abed released her, she made a home in the vent system of Greendale College, causing a lot of mischief, including stealing pens from her namesake, Annie (Alison Brie).
It will have been ten years since we last saw Annie’s Boobs, and it would be hilarious if that’s also how long it will have been since anyone at Greendale saw her, as well. Perhaps she’s just been hiding out, living in the vents all these years, hoping that one day Troy will return. She could even have a picture of Troy wherever she’s been hiding. And since the actual monkey that played her is still alive and working, they could even use the same one.
Buddy Austin
Even though this character only popped up one time, he was one of the most memorable side characters of them all. Buddy, played by the always hilariousJack Black, was a classmate of the study group’s, but was so forgettable that only Abed remembered him. And after desperately trying to join the study group, went with another group instead.
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It would be a perfect cameo for this movie to have Jack Black pop up for a scene or two. Maybe, as he was an event planning major, he could be working for the previously suggested entertainment company ran by Magnitude. That would be a great way to cross these two characters that never had any interaction in the show.
Professor Sean Garrity
The eccentric drama teacher who pretended to be the professor of a fake class called Conspiracy Theories in U.S. History, Professor Garrity (Kevin Corrigan) is one of themost interesting and entertaining teachersat Greendale. You never really knew what he was going to be doing the next time you saw him, which always made it great when he popped up.
As he’d most likely still be at Greendale, it would be great to see him teaching a class similar to his ‘Nicolas Cage: Good Or Bad?’ class. Perhaps, something like ‘To Twist or Not To Twist: The Endings of M. Night Shyamalan’.
Leonard Rodriguez
Leonard was one of the best characters on this entire show, for many reasons, including his witty banter with the study group, his food reviews, and even the fact that he changed his last name from Briggs to Rodriguez, just to garner support from the Hispanic community during his campaign for student body president.
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However, with the incredibly sad passing of the actor that played this role,Richard Erdman, he obviously wouldn’t be able to appear in the new movie in the traditional sense. So, instead, what if Greendale repurposed the technology used for the Pierce Hawthorne (Chevy Chase) hologram and made one of Leonard. I think it would be a wonderful send-off for the character and a great homage for the actor.
