At long last, the phrase “Six Seasons and a Movie” will finally come to fruition after it was recently announced that the long-awaited Community movie will be coming to Peacock in 2023 (per Variety). Though Community never reached the heights of its contemporaries – The Office, 30 Rock, and Parks and Recreation – it has amassed an impressive cult following.
The show was beloved for its clever meta-humor, often parodying or paying homage to various tv tropes and prominent pop culture. Many fans have taken to Reddit in response to the announcement which led to a series of posts sharing their favorite character and episodes. Specifically, some fans shared who they thought would’ve made a great addition to the Greendale gang, and whether that comes to pass in the film, these are characters many would love to see return regardless.
Chang
While the gang started as nothing more than a study group for Señor Chang’s Spanish class, it eventually evolved into so much more. However, they really didn’t let anyone else in, no matter how hard they tried, as in the case for Chang in season two after he becomes a student himself. He got close when Jeff pitched him over Rich and u/Eyebronx supported it writing, “I was easily convinced by this classic Winger speech.”
Who’s to say what would’ve happened if they have accepted Chang into the group then. He still would’ve been one of Community‘s funniest characters, but perhaps he never would’ve eventually become a security officer, nor kidnap the dean, and try to blow up the school in the third season. However, all that being said, Chang was later invited to be part of the gang in later seasons, though that was part of the Save Greendale Club, not the study group.
Leonard
Beyond the main cast, there are some amazing supporting characters and guest roles. In the case of Leonard, not only was he a fun character to have pop in every so often, but he is actually one of Community’s low-key villains. Nevertheless, u/RoninRobot and others think he should’ve joined the study group, writing simply, “Leonard is definitely a buy,” referencing his review show on YouTube.
While other supporting characters would hopefully return in the proposed film, Leonard will not as Richard Erdman passed away in 2019. However, they could easily still incorporate his memory or reference him in some way to honor Erdman’s career and impact as Leonard.
Garrett
The other most prominent supporting character besides Leonard is Garrett, played by Erik Charles Nielson. What started as a random character eventually evolved into someone who got his own wedding episode in the final season. He’ll definitely have to return for the film otherwise it really wouldn’t feel like Community.
u/Dangerous-Yam-6831 said, “I would have loved Garrett to be included in the group. It would have potentially saved him also.” That simple action could’ve saved a lot of time for the Save Garret rallies, but in hanging out with Jeff and the others, Garret might’ve ended up more like his brother, Bones.
Magnitude
u/Shaunlab only had to write two words for fans to know who they were suggesting – “Pop Pop!” Obviously, that’s a vote for the amazing Magnitude, one of the best additions to Community following season 1. Played by Luke Youngblood, who is also recognized as Lee Jordan from the Harry Potter films and Sid from Galavant, Magnitude was the resident party-man of Greendale Community College.
He always knows the right thing to say for most situations, but he might have been the best person to have around while really studying. Thankfully for his sake, the study group rarely actually studied, so he could’ve just joined in on the fun.
Neil
Another time that the group invited someone in for a bit was during the first Dungeons & Dragons episode in the second season. Jeff noticed that their classmate Neil, played by Charley Koontz, was sad about being ostracized for being overweight. So they decided to play Dungeons & Dragons to lift his spirits, but throughout the game, it was revealed that Jeff was the one who started calling him Fat Neil.
In support of this choice, u/puns_n_pups wrote “Yeah, you might know him by a few other aliases, such as the great warrior, Duquesne, or DJ Real Neil with the pipes of steel.” Perhaps if he was invited to join the study group for more than that one day, he would just be known as Neil, instead of Fat Neil.
Vicki
Some supporting characters would add some even more craziness to the group, while others would meld in quite well. In the case for Vicki Cooper, the dramatic dance major always searching for the spotlight, she would’ve probably fit in well with everyone but Pierce.
u/Roscoe_King said she’s “not too outspoken, not another ‘love interest’ for Jeff. She could have been goofy like Abed and Troy. And we know Pierce hates her, so that would make great tension. She’s the perfect middle ground.” If Jeff had been smart all the times he tried to get Pierce out of the group, he should’ve tried to get Vicki in.
Starburns
Casual fans might be unaware that Dino Stamatopoulos, remembered for playing Alex aka Star-Burns, was also a producer and writer for Community, so he’s to thank for some of the satirical humor throughout the series. u/chesterharry thinks he could’ve made a fun addition to the study group, simply saying “Star-Burns/Alex” as his suggestion.
Star-Burns was never a big fan of Jeff Winger, but he did trust Abed enough to make a film about him after he faked his death, so that would’ve added some strange dynamics to the group. However, as shown in season one, Star-Burns was part of a different and seemingly cooler study group with Owen Wilson and Jack Black.
Annie Kim
While many supporting characters got to pop in and out regularly across the six seasons, there were some who were relatively underutilized like Annie Kim, played by Irene Choi. She was first seen as Annie’s counterpart, alike in nearly every way, and soon rival in a Model UN competition. Having two Annie’s surely would’ve spiced up the study group, but perhaps they actually would’ve studied.
u/luckystrike_bh wrote, “having a can of Annie Lite and other Annie verbally spar 24/7 would be awesome entertainment.” The bit would’ve been funny, and it would’ve been nice to see how weird Annie Kim can get, but it could’ve worn thin if all they ever did was compete.
Todd
At the start of season three, the study group was thrown for a loop when their Biology professor paired them up for labs, instead of letting them all work together. Of course, he eventually relented when he discovered just how dysfunctional they all are apart from each other. However, that also meant they almost had to welcome in a newcomer, Todd, who, no offense, was not a good fit in their eyes.
Nevertheless, he was a respectable character and according to u/MetalMewtoo9001, “he’s distinct enough from the rest of the group to make for some interesting dynamics and stories if they took the time to flesh him out. He’s a war vert with a heart of gold on the surface with a weird dark side.” That’s a good case for Todd, so maybe he’ll show up again in the proposed movie.
The Koogler
The final two seasons took a weird, yet still hilarious turn with some strange storylines and new characters like Koogler. He’s a pastiche character of the party animal college student reminiscent of Animal House played by Arrested Development creator, Mitchell Hurwitz. He’s someone completely unique in the show, and as u/Ne6romancer, “he’s cool, he likes to get laid, he’s NOT THAT OLD.”
The Koogler would’ve been a fun addition to the study group during the days of them being a study group, but he might’ve fed into Abed and Troy’s fantasies a bit too much. Plus he surely would’ve rubbed Annie, Shirley, and probably Britta the wrong way if they had to be around him for too long, but it still would’ve been entertaining.
