History EnsembleDarkhorse / FIlm

* Promotion for ''ComicBook/SinCity'' showcased major actors like Creator/BruceWillis and Creator/JessicaAlba. Marv, one of the more popular characters from the comics got a few seconds in the trailers, likely because he was hideous and played by a lesser-known actor, Mickey Rourke (he hadn't made his comeback yet). Just look at the page image and find Marv on the movie poster. Fans of the film and critics focused most of their attention on Marv's character anyway. Comic fans and the filmmakers weren't surprised, though.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretLifeOfPets'': Snowball is really the show-stealer even though he is a supporting character. Though being [[HeyItsThatVoice voiced by Kevin Hart]] could have some effect on it.

!Works/franchies with their own pages

[[quoteright:334:[[Film/ReturnOfTheJedi http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bobafett_9549.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:334:Popularity: Sometimes it's not what you say, it's how friggin' cool you look not saying it.]]

* [[http://blog.opovo.com.br/bancadoanime/wp-content/uploads/sites/56/2015/03/adesivo-parede-decorativo-gata-gatinha-marie-infantil-menina-11031-MLB20038223399_012014-F.jpg Marie]] from Disney's ''Disney/TheAristocats'' has been gotten a huge load of attention from Disney and cat lovers over the years. [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff Especially in Japan]], to the point that she was exclusive at [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks Tokyo Disneyland]] in the mid 2000's until she started making appearances in Walt Disney World's Epcot and later moved to the Magic Kingdom a few years later. Speaking of Japan, there was a spinoff manga made in 2012 and [[NoExportForYou only available in Japan and Brazil]] [[http://blog.opovo.com.br/bancadoanime/wp-content/uploads/sites/56/2015/03/Miriya-e-Marie-c01-04.jpg called "Miriya & Marie"]] where Marie is the main character. She's also featured the most in Disney merchandise and anything related to the film. In fact, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen there was going to be a sequel which starred Marie]] but got cancelled when Disney closed it's animation studio.

* The Djinn from the 2010 ''{{Clash of the Titans|2010}}''. They save Perseus & Co. from the giant scorpions, not by defeating them, but by ''taming them''. One of them (credited as "Sheikh Suleiman") joins the quest to slay Medusa. As it turns out, since he is not a being of flesh, he is ''immune to her stare''. Wrapped in her coils, [[spoiler:[[TakingYouWithMe he uses his magic to self-destruct]], [[HeroicSacrifice providing Perseus the opening needed to decapitate her]]]].

* The Djinn from TheRemake of ''Film/ClashOfTheTitans''. They save Perseus & Co. from the giant scorpions, not by defeating them, but by ''taming them''. One of them (credited as "Sheikh Suleiman") joins the quest to slay Medusa. As it turns out, since he is not a being of flesh, he is ''immune to her stare''. Wrapped in her coils, [[spoiler: [[TakingYouWithMe he uses his magic to self-destruct]], [[HeroicSacrifice providing Perseus the opening needed to decapitate her]].]]

** Bobo from the original film, while the fanbase is divided about whether he is a good character or not. There is no denying he is one of the most talked about characters of the film.

* The Coma Doof-Warrior from ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad''. Among Immortan Joe's army, he had only one job: to stand on top of a speeding truck, in front of a massive amp system, and play his electric guitar as Joe's army rode into battle. His '''''[[CrazyAwesome flame-throwing]]''''' electric guitar.

* Nux. Mostly for Nicholas Hoult giving us a funny and [[LargeHam hamtastic]] - "[[MemeticMutation OH WHAT A DAY! WHAT A LOVELY DAY!]]" - performance, his [[BadassDriver driving skills]], his [[WalkingShirtlessScene lack of a shirt]] and [[spoiler:his HeelFaceTurn and HeroicSacrifice.]]

* The MarvelCinematicUniverse has created a few Darkhorses:

** An interesting case occurred during production; the three fairies were originally intended to be minor supporting characters, with no names and no differences between them other than the colors of their clothes. The filmmakers became such fans of the characters as they developed that they wound up taking over the film.

* ''Disney/TheSwordInTheStone'' is ''not'' a movie about a boy and a wizard who turn into squirrels and said boy attracts the attention of a cheerful, overly friendly female squirrel who becomes the cute version of a StalkerWithACrush and wouldn't leave him alone, mistaking his actions for playing hard to get or his way of attracting a mate but is ultimately a {{Determinator}} set on making him love her back and earn him as a mate for life only to learn [[TearJerker/TheSwordInTheStone he's a human and run away in tears, watching the boy she fell in love with walk away forever to his home miles away]]. That's just 9 minutes of the movie, but with all of the fan art and fanfiction surrounding said little squirrel, you'd think those 9 minutes were a major importance to the plot. 4chan actually wrote [[http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/18188653/#18190074 a story where]] [[http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/18188653/#18190171 the squirrel gets a human form and comes to live with Arthur]].

** [[spoiler:Howard the Duck]] due to his hilarious cameo at the end at the end of ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy''. Marvel predicted this would happen and took full advantage of by digitally re-releasing his original comic series the same week as the movie's launch. He's also getting a new series in 2015 which likely wouldn't have happened without the film.

** Even though Toad only appeared in the first movie, he is very popular. This is mainly due to the fact that he is tasked with taking out Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Storm by himself...and he utterly [[CurbStompBattle annihilates all three of them]]. [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Toad was supposed to appear in the second movie, and have a fight scene with Nightcrawler, but these plans were scrapped due to conflicts in Ray Park's schedule]].

** Loki from ''{{Film/Thor}}'' has been hugely popular since the movie was released despite the fact that he is the villain and only has roughly twenty minutes of screen time. His popularity seems to rival that of [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]], the hero and [[AloofBigBrother older brother's]] popularity, especially the [[MrFanservice female]] fanbase, no doubt because of [[Creator/TomHiddleston his actor]]. And he does a repeat performance in ''Film/TheAvengers'', in many places beating characters who are popular enough to carry their own movies (and sequels): ''Film/IronMan'', ''Film/{{Captain America|TheFirstAvenger}}'', ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk'' and Thor (again). Advertising for the ''Thor'' sequel quickly became almost entirely "Here's more Loki". And several months after filming ended, they went back and shot some additional scenes just of him.

** [[Characters/AgentsOfSHIELD Agent Coulson]] from ''Film/IronMan'' ''Thor'', ''Film/IronMan 2'', and ''Film/TheAvengers'' has quite a few fans. Remember the guy who kept trying to get Tony to get Iron Man to join SHIELD, was mostly ignored, and there's a RunningGag of him saying SHIELD's full name and being told it was too long? ''That's him.'' This gag's pretty much all he gets as well as being in a few crowd scenes. By now, he's one of the most popular characters in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse just due to being his lovable Woobieish self, the face of SHIELD to everybody who doesn't like organizations like SHIELD. Watch "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer". You'll see why. PowersThatBe have definitely taken note and the actor has ''really'' gotten into the role, so he wound up in ''Thor'' and had a much bigger role in ''The Avengers''. There are ''two'' [[Film/MarvelOneShots short films with him]] (the other being The Consultant) and now he has appeared in first a non-canon side story in the comics, and then an [[CanonImmigrant appearance that definitely counts]]. Also, he's a major character in ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan'', being the SHIELD agent who is under cover as the principal at Peter's high school, keeping an eye on them. His design is basically [[InkSuitActor the exact likeness of his actor, Clark Gregg]], and he also has the same voice - Gregg has so much fun with the role and is somewhat protective of it by now. There's just one Agent Coulson! He's also got a cameo in ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures.'' Coulson's gone from a bit part to a ''phenomenon.'' For a middle-aged human in a world of superheroes, he really impressed.

** Colossus shows up for a grand total of three minutes in ''Film/X2XMenUnited'', during which he saves Siryn from being kidnapped, armors up on-screen, beats the crap out of several soldiers and offers to help Wolverine. The character proved to be so popular with moviegoers and fans that he returned as one of the six team members (although several of his scenes were cut) who take part in the final battle in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'', and gets a few badass action scenes in ''FilmXMenDaysOfFuturePast''. However, his appearance in ''Film/{{Deadpool}}'', where he has a larger role than all his previous films combined, may be his most popular yet, thanks to how hilariously Adorkable he is.
** Kitty Pryde a.k.a. Shadowcat became one in between the second and third movies - thanks to the character's appearance in the ''WesternAnimationXMenEvolution'' cartoon. So her role is greatly expanded and she's widely thought as one of the better parts of ''Last Stand''. Being played by a pre-''{{Film/Juno}}'' Ellen Page helps too.

** Similarly, his father Azazel, who appears in the prequel ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', is also a rather popular character, due to being, basically, Nightcrawler with red skin. Sure beats his really lame comic version.

** Colossus shows up for a grand total of three minutes in ''Film/X2XMenUnited'', during which he saves Siryn from being kidnapped, armors up on-screen, beats the crap out of several soldiers and offers to help Wolverine. The character proved to be so popular with moviegoers and fans that he returned as one of the six team members (although several of his scenes were cut) who take part in the final battle in ''Film/XMenTheLastStand''.

** ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'': Wade Wilson. Not Deadpool, oh no, but critics and fans pretty much unanimously praised Ryan Reynolds as pre-experimented Wade Wilson.

** Blink is one of the highlights of the movie because of her unique look and creative uses of her power in the action scenes. Most fans predicted this, since the character's comic counterpart is already a pretty big fan-favorite, and for the exact same reasons, no less.

* ''Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame'' has Esmerelda, whose selfless nature coupled with her snarkiness and ActionGirl tendencies to make her quite beloved among the fanbase.
** A lot of people also seem to have a fondness for Clopin, the AllKnowingSingingNarrator of the film.

** SelfDemonstrating/{{Loki}} from ''{{Film/Thor}}'' has been hugely popular since the movie was released despite the fact that he is the villain and only has roughly twenty minutes of screen time. His popularity seems to rival that of [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]], the hero and [[AloofBigBrother older brother's]] popularity, especially the [[MrFanservice female]] fanbase, no doubt because of [[Creator/TomHiddleston his actor]]. And he does a repeat performance in ''Film/TheAvengers'', in many places beating characters who are popular enough to carry their own movies (and sequels): ''Film/IronMan'', ''Film/{{Captain America|TheFirstAvenger}}'', ''Film/TheIncredibleHulk'' and Thor (again). Advertising for the ''Thor'' sequel quickly became almost entirely "Here's more Loki". And several months after filming ended, they went back and shot some additional scenes just of him.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EftIAMsVKgk Marie's even gotten her own music video]] which can be found on Disney's Japanese Youtube channel.

* The Coma Doof-Warrior from ''Film/MadMaxFuryRoad''. Among Immortan Joe's army, he had only one job: to play his electric guitar as his army road into battle. His '''''[[CrazyAwesome flame-throwing]]''''' electric guitar.

* Creator/JetLi in ''Film/LethalWeapon 4'' was just so ''cool'' that he stole the movie. It ended up becoming his breakout role to American audiences.

* Animal Mother, the SociopathicHero from ''Film/FullMetalJacket''.
** Really? What's the first quote most people can give from the movie; "Hey, soldier boy!..."

* [[Film/MeanGirls "Four for you, Glen Coco!]] [[MemeticMutation You go, Glen Coco!"]][[note]]And none for Gretchen Weiners, bye.[[/note]]

* The penguins from ''{{WesternAnimation/Madagascar}}'', to the extent that they earned their own spin off ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'', and ''that'' spin off got a movie of its own! Be honest - did you see ''Madagascar'' as a film about friends moved from a zoo to the jungle with a few scenes based around penguins, or did you see it as a film about penguins that kept being hijacked by that idiot zebra and his friends? On a similar note, the zoosters get severely upstaged in the third film by the circus trio- or more specifically Vitaly; FridgeBrilliance in that he's the heart of both the circus and, in turn, the movie in general.

* Han of the ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious: Tokyo Drift'', who proved to be such a popular character they basically rearranged the entire timeline of the franchise so he could appear in three more movies afterward.

* Doc Holiday, from {{Tombstone}}. A man dying of TB, he decides to gamble and get into gunfights, since he won't be living for much longer anyway.

* Despite ''Film/{{Neighbors2014}}'' being pitched as Rogen vs. Efron, most critical reviews -- even the negative ones -- heaped the most praise on Rose Byrne's Kelly, who doesn't get stuck with a WomenAreWiser role and gets a lot of laughs going from button-downed house-wife to scheming partner-in-crime with Mac. Plus, she does a hilarious {{Keet}} impression of AnneHathaway.

* An almost absurd case in ''Film/{{fScrooge 1951}}''. At the end of the film Scrooge goes to dinner at his nephew's house. The maid that takes his coat and sweetly urges him to go inside to the party. She has no lines and that's her only scene - and yet has a huge amount of fans. There was even a lengthy discussion on IMDB about the identity of the actress (even with theories that it was a young Audrey Hepburn). She was [[http://dickensblog.typepad.com/dickensblog/2013/05/meet-the-maid-an-interview-with-theresa-derrington-cozens-hardy.html eventually identified as Teresa Derrington]].

* ''Film/TheHungerGames''
** Curly Haired Constipated Fuck (aka the tribute from District 4). The reason for his popularity? His amazing head of red curls as well as his constipated look in the magazine shoot.
** Seneca Crane, thanks to his BadassBeard.

* ''Film/TheHungerGamesMockingjay'':
** Cressida from Part 1. Being played by Creator/NatalieDormer helps.
** She only got one shot in the teaser trailer for Part 2, but Commander Lyme is already proving popular among fans, helped by the fact that she's played by Creator/GwendolineChristie.