Spinoffs are a great way to continue the story of beloved characters from a movie or TV show. Fans have seen this done brilliantly in several popular TV series over the years. The Blacklist took a detour to follow Tom Keen’s thrilling life as an undercover operative in The Blacklist: Redemption. Similarly, due to their strong on-screen presence and the impact they had as some of the most hated characters during their time on The Vampire Diaries, the first vampire family—the Mikaelsons—were given their own show. Breaking Bad fans were treated to Better Call Saul, an insightful prequel exploring the life of criminal lawyer Saul Goodman. Game of Thrones found new life in its gripping prequel, House of the Dragon, which is currently working toward Season 3.
These spinoffs work because certain characters leave us asking, "How did they get here?" or "Where do they go from here?"
10 Iconic TV Characters That Need Spinoff Shows
Katarina Rostova - The Blacklist
Following The Blacklist ending on July 13, 2023, the vague hints and innuendos surrounding Katarina Rostova’s transformation into Raymond Reddington left many fans unsatisfied. For a storyline central to the show’s mystery, viewers were never clearly told how this transition happened.
A spinoff could finally explore the untold story of Katarina’s life as an operative trained by her father and the events that led to and followed her transition to Raymond Reddington.
Additionally, Katarina Rostova's spinoff could uncover the legendary stories Reddington loved to tell, his deep friendship with Dembe, and the real reason he found it so difficult to tell Elizabeth Keen that he was actually Katarina Rostova.
Fans may know how The Blacklist ends, but there are still many burning questions to be answered. A show like this wouldn’t just fill in the gaps, it would give fans the closure they’ve waited for.
Arya Stark – Game of Thrones
While Ned Stark's death in the first season of Game of Thrones was every fan's first heartbreak, his legacy lived on in the elusive Arya Stark. She went from being trained to be faceless to ending the Great War by killing the Night King—all the while never taking revenge for her father’s death by making a pie out of the flesh of Walder Frey's children and serving it to him before slitting his throat.
At the end of Game of Thrones, Arya set out on a ship to discover what is west of Westeros, an adventure with less horror and blood, after bidding farewell to her siblings, Sansa, Bran, and Jon.
But how easy will it be to lead a stress-free, peaceful life after killing the Night King? Maybe her story becomes something similar to Talon’s from The Outpost—a new world, new rules, and new threats.
Matt Donovan & the Human Fraction in Mystic Falls – The Vampire Diaries
One prevalent fact from The Vampire Diaries franchise is that when a vampire dies, every compulsion they ever had wears off. Throughout the franchise, viewers see Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert become human, Stefan Salvatore die in The Vampire Diaries, and Klaus and Elijah Mikaelson perish in The Originals. More humans in Mystic Falls could now be compelled.
It must take a special character to stand up to the caliber of vampires that trooped in and out of Mystic Falls—even the ones in Matt's inner circle. What other adventures does Matt experience as the only human in the friend group? As the sheriff of Mystic Falls and friend to the supernatural elements in the town, he is in the middle of it all. Which side does he take?
A spinoff could finally tell the story of the human side of Mystic Falls with Matt Donovan as their leader—how he coped with the ruckus and chaos brought by vampires and other supernatural creatures.
Lucious Lyon – Empire
Lucious Lyon of Fox’s Empire was the antihero. In the second season of Empire, fans saw a snippet of the emotional Dwight Walker story. A sneak peek at Cookie's life in jail was also showcased, but not Lucious's life when Cookie was away.
However, a big part of the story that was downplayed was that Lucious Lyon was also a single father with big dreams. Imagine a single dad raising a toddler and two boys alongside hustlers like Bunky and Verna, with a drug-addicted Carol as a mother figure.
A spinoff could explore how he built his career and raised three sons and possibly reveal why he’s as tough as he is.
Lucious Lyon’s spinoff could share more glances into his life as Dwight Walker. It would focus on him as the West Side hustler and a father, doing everything to make his dream a reality while caring for three children and maybe even missing his wife in jail (read on to see why Empire season 7 will never happen at Fox).
Katerina Petrova – The Vampire Diaries
The toughest of the doppelgängers—Katerina Petrova—caught the eyes of some of the most eligible vampire brothers; first, the Mikaelson brothers, and then the Salvatore brothers.
Throughout The Vampire Diaries, viewers receive fragments of her story—being born a Traveller, losing her entire family to Klaus Mikaelson, and then being on the run for 500 years. A spinoff would be the perfect opportunity to dive into her whole backstory and even address some of the plot holes in the franchise. According to the timeline, Elena Gilbert is a descendant of Katerina Petrova—yet several questions remain.
Fans know how her story ends, but there’s still a long, intriguing tale of vampires, witches, and werewolves waiting to be told. The Katerina Petrova story would be one of cunning, betrayal, heartbreak, and survival.
Imagine a vampire who compels an entire town to keep her secret. Even though Catherine Pierce is arguably one of the most hated TV characters, that story is worth watching.
It seems that vampires are back in the spotlight, as director Ryan Coogler leans on the lore in his new supernatural horror film Sinners.
Frankenstein’s Monster – Penny Dreadful
Penny Dreadful was a beautifully written horror TV series. The showrunner, John Logan, and screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns could be enlisted again to put that pen game back into action and create yet another tragic, award-winning story—this time centered on Frankenstein’s Monster.
The story could begin with him as a kind-hearted orderly at a sanitarium, and his reanimation by Dr. Victor Frankenstein.
The horror series may follow a path of rejection, pain, and rage—a dark journey that fully earns him the name "Frankenstein’s Monster"—and then a love so true and real that it reignites his compassion.
Max Black Prequel – 2 Broke Girls
Young Sheldon, the Big Bang Theory spinoff, stands out as a rare example of a successful sitcom spinoff in recent years. It highlights that while spinoffs from modern sitcoms are uncommon, they can still resonate with audiences when done right.
2 Broke Girls focuses more on Caroline Channing's (played by Beth Behrs) backstory. Max Black gets little or no love, especially considering fans never get to see her mother. The show missed the opportunity to introduce her mom when Max revisits high school in Rhode Island to take a final exam in American History in Season 3.
Regardless, with a Max Black spinoff lies a beautiful dark comedy that dives into the fake names, living in a car, never meeting her father, and the chaos of growing up with a mother she often describes as awful.
Bruce Wayne x Joker – Gotham
Yet another Batman/Joker movie? Audiences all know there’s a reason why there can never be too many of these—because in a crazy city like Gotham, anything can happen (take into account these nine appearances of Joker over the years).
While certain facts are constant—Batman vs. Joker, Detective Gordon's love-hate relationship with Batman, and Batman's true identity—each TV series and movie gives a unique rendition, with different personalities and sometimes even origin stories.
Fox’s Gotham was a highly reviewed TV show, ranking number 2 on IMDb’s list of best to worst Batman adaptations. It gave viewers the usual chaotic Joker and a taste of a calm, level-headed, and calculated Joker (Jerome and Jeremiah, both played brilliantly by Cameron Monaghan).
These versions of Batman and Joker would make quite a show. Another interesting angle would be Bruce Wayne’s friendship and complicated relationship with the anti-hero Selina Kyle, played by Camren Bicondova.
John Diggle – Arrowverse
John Diggle seems to be a constant in the Arrowverse, appearing in some of its most iconic TV shows, such as Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow. There were even whispers of a John Diggle spinoff, Justice U, which was canceled.
On the cancellation of the show, David Ramsey, who played John Diggle in the Arrowverse, said, "Diggle has a lot of story left:"
"CW decided to pass on all their shows in development. 'Justice U' was one of them. Would it have been great? Of course. I think Diggle has a lot of story left, Lantern ring or not. But again, there is 'Superman and Lois,' which, again, CW hasn’t made a decision on. A version of John Diggle exists within that mythos. We’ll see what happens there."
Maybe the prolific character finally gets his flowers, in the form of a show that dives deeper into his life as a spy married to another spy and navigating both parenthood and mayhem. The John Diggle perspective deserves its spotlight.
David Rose – Schitt’s Creek
Schitt’s Creek follows the story of a once-wealthy family forced to leave their lives behind and settle in a town called Schitt’s Creek after they go bankrupt. The show starred Dan Levy, Eugene Levy, Annie Murphy, and Catherine O'Hara.
The comedy series ended just after David Rose married his business partner, Patrick Brewer. They plan to buy a little cottage resembling Kate Winslet’s from The Holiday and spend the rest of their lives together.
For the Schitt’s Creek spinoff, maybe fans could see David Rose as a husband, navigating life in Schitt’s Creek without his family and amid the colorful characters in town. Or maybe David Rose could run for mayor—because Roland Schitt is obviously loaded now and may no longer want the job. Stevie Budd might also be in the market for a bit of a glow-up.
A beautiful sitcom is waiting to be told in Schitt’s Creek with David Rose as the lead.
