History AscendedExtra / Film

* Creator/MichealJaiWhite, who played a small part as an unnamed soldier in the first ''Film/UniversalSoldier'', later played the BigBad in ''Film/UniversalSoldierTheReturn''.

** Agent Phil Coulson is one of the most triumphant examples ever. He started out as a minor comic relief character in the first ''Film/IronMan1'' movie. His popularity led to his role becoming recurring in ''Film/IronMan2'' and ''Film/{{Thor}}''. Then he became the main character of two of the Film/MarvelOneShots short films. Then he got a role in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Ultimate Spider-Man}}'' animated series and became a CanonImmigrant to the main 616 universe in the comics. Then he got a much bigger role in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', even appearing on some versions of the poster. And now [[spoiler: he's BackFromTheDead and is starring in [[Series/AgentsOfSHIELD his own series]].]] All within five years since his first appearance.

* ''Film/WarCraft2016'' has Durotan be the main character on orcs' side and makes him instrumential to stopping Gul'dan from [[spoiler:bringing the rest of the Horde to Azeroth]], while in the game, his biggest claim to fame is fathering famous Horde Warchief Thrall.

** Hope Van Dyne is an extremely minor character from the comics, and only appeared in the ''ComicBook/MarvelComics2'' continuity. In ''Film/AntMan'', she's promoted to major character status and is effectively the film's female lead. [[spoiler: In TheStinger, she becomes the MCU version of TheWasp]].

* In the comic version of ''ComicBook/SupermanBatman'' arc, "Public Enemies", ComicBook/AmandaWaller only appeared in one scene, only to be mentioned as having been arrested in the end. In [[WesternAnimation/SupermanBatmanPublicEnemies its animated adaptation]], she's appeared throughout and has undergone AdaptationalHerosim, being the [[OnlySaneMan Only Same Woman]] working for Luthor and ordering his arrest.

** Ask any hardcore ''Franchise/StarWars'' fan about the silver protocol droid Threepio meets in Cloud City just before he gets blasted. Go ahead. We'll wait.
*** [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/E-3PO E-3PO]].

* In ''Disney/{{Zootopia}}'', Finnick only has about 3 lines and is in the movie for about 2-3 minutes. His role is so minimal he doesn't even pop up in the [[DancePartyEnding dance party at the end]], which included most of the other characters. However, in the video game, Zootopia Crime Files, he has a supporting part as one of the suspects in a case.

* In the original ''Film/{{Rocky}}'', Little Marie appears in one scene where Rocky walks the 12-year-old home. Three decades later, Marie shows up in the final film ''Rocky Balboa'' as the lead female character and love interest (after Adrian's death).

** According to Creator/GwendolineChristie, who plays Captain Phasma in ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', Phasma will have an increased role in Episode VIII, possibly to make up for the lack of screentime and action for her character in the former.

*** J.A.R.V.I.S. in a sense, he ascends from an A.I. created for the MCU to become [[spoiler: TheVision]].

* In the third movie in the ''Film/{{Halloweentown}}'' series, ''Halloweentown High'', Ethan (a warlock) was a minor character who was mainly a rival to Marnie but who wasn't important to the story. In ''Return to Halloweentown'', he is a love interest to Marnie. This may be because Lucas Grabeel, who played Ethan, had just been in ''HighSchoolMusical'' and Disney was trying to promote him.

** "Happy" Hogan, Tony Stark's bodyguard in ''Film/{{Iron Man|1}}'' played by director JonFavreau, has considerably more lines in the second movie; in addition, he gets to beat down a guard, ram [[BigBad Ivan]] with his car, and has Comicbook/BlackWidow (aka Creator/ScarlettJohansson) put him in a headlock with her legs.

* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'', the Furious Five were little more than window-dressing. In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2'', they have a much more active role, particularly Tigress.

** Subverted with ''Jason Bourne'' as she not only goes from 2nd billing in the last one she appeared in to 4th in this one, but it readily becomes apparent that she is primarily [[spoiler:BackForTheDead]].

* The ''Jason Bourne'' Series: Nicolette Parsons in ''Identity'' started out as a bit of an inexperienced analyst who had subtle ties to Bourne and was on the sidelines for the whole movie. ''Supremacy'' had Nicky be the one to attest to the fact that Bourne had amnesia and she allowed for herself to be sent out in the field to meet with him and learned his side of the story as to the deaths of their agents earlier (albeit while being held at gunpoint). ''Ultimatum'' had Nicky become the possible new love interest, had Bourne run into her again and team up with her to learn about Blackbriar and expose the conspiracy. Her role in the upcoming ''Jason Bourne'' seems to continue on as it is now or be growing. In the first movie, Julia Stiles received 10th billing for her role, in the second one, she received 4th billing for her role and in the third one, she was billed only 2nd to Matt Damon.

* ''Film/HaloNightfall'': Randall Aiken, a.k.a. Petty Officer Second Class Randall-037, existed long before ''Nightfall'' was even thought of, having already been mentioned a few times in the ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' novels as being one of the few SPARTAN-[=IIs=] who were genuinely MIA[[note]]To buttress the propaganda that the Spartans were invincible, those that were killed in action were always listed as missing in action instead.[[/note]], and having had a minor on-screen role in the short story "[[Literature/HaloEvolutions Pariah]]".

* ''Film/HaloNightfall'':
** Randall Aiken, a.k.a. Petty Officer Second Class Randall-037, existed long before ''Nightfall'' was even thought of, having already been mentioned a few times in the novels as being one of the few SPARTAN-[=IIs=] who were genuinely MIA,[[note]]To buttress the propaganda that the Spartans were invincible, those that were killed in action were always listed as missing in action instead.[[/note]] and having had a minor on-screen role in the short story "[[Literature/HaloEvolutions Pariah]]".
** Also Jameson Locke, continuity-wise. He narrates a few of the terminal cutscenes in ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}} Anniversary Edition'', which are set earlier than the film even though they came out at the same time.

** Tommy Doyle in ''Film/HalloweenTheCurseOfMichaelMyers'', where he was the main character (and played by a then-unknown PaulRudd in his first role). In the original film, he had some screen-time as the kid Laurie was babysitting, but hardly the main character.

** In the comics, the Iron Legion were an extremely minor group that only appeared in two issues back in the 90's. In the [[MarvelCinematicUniverse MCU]], they have pivotal roles in both ''Film/IronMan3'' and ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron''.

* From the ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' franchise we have Puss in Boots. First appearing in 2004 in Shrek2, he got his own movie in 2011.

* Every doll besides 9 and 5 in the film ''WesternAnimation/{{Nine}}''. In the original short film, the remaining seven dolls ''did'' appear, but only for a few seconds at the end of the film. The feature film takes all of them and gives them larger roles and actual personalities (as well as complete character make-overs).

* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'', the Furious Five were little more than window-dressing. In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda2'', they have a much more active role, particularly Tigress.

* In the original ''Disney/{{Bambi}}'' Ronno is an unnamed stag who fights over Faline with Bambi. In the midquel he's a fleshed out buck and the central antagonist of the movie.

* In the ComicBook/{{Tintin}} comic ''The Secret of the Unicorn'', the minor character Ivan Sakharine is a pushy but ultimately harmless model ship collector who is [[RedHerring briefly suspected]] of stealing Tintin's model of the ''Unicorn''. In the film adaptation of the same comic, however, he is the [[BigBad main villain]] [[spoiler: and the descendant of the pirate Red Rackham.]] Ironically, in the comic Sakharine is later attacked by the ''real'' thief, and if a brief cameo appearance in ''Red Rackham's Treasure'' is anything to go by he eventually made his peace with Tintin.

* In the first ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' film, Woody and Buzz were the real focus of the film and all the other toys were relatively minor characters. The second film gives much more screen time to Slinky, Rex, Hamm, and Mr. Potato Head. And likewise, Mrs. Potato Head only appeared in the beginning and end of the second film while Barbie was only in one scene roughly past the middle; they both had much bigger roles in the third movie. This also applies to the Little Green Men from the claw machine scene of the first movie. Apparently becoming an EnsembleDarkHorse, they went on to having a signifcantly larger role in the second movie, became recurring characters in ''WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'', and were major characters in the third film [[spoiler:even being the BigDamnHeroes]].
* [[{{Disney/Pinocchio}} Jiminy Cricket]] was originally a nameless cricket who, in the original book, got squashed by Pinocchio in one chapter ([[BrickJoke and came back as a ghost much later]]). In the film, he becomes Pinocchio's friend and adviser and has since appeared in countless other Disney projects.

* In ''WesternAnimation/RockADoodle'', the Grand Duke of Owls is the main antagonist and the cause of all the trouble in the movie. In the play ''Chanticler'' by Edmond Rostand, the Grand Duke is only a minor villain - instead, the main villains are the Blackbird and the rival rooster who fights Chanticler. The former receives AdaptationalHeroism while the latter is DemotedToExtra.

* Quite a few of the extras from ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail: Fievel Goes West'' went on to become recurring characters in ''[[RecycledTheSeries Fievel's American Tails]]''.
** Speaking of which, Tanya got quite a bigger role in ''Fievel Goes West'' when compared to the original movie, where she only has a couple of lines and could easily be cut from the story, practically only existing to give Fievel someone to sing his DistantDuet with.

* So many characters in ''StarWars'' that it would be impossible to list them all. For example, watch the cantina scene from the original film; ''every last patron'' has at least a name and a bit of backstory. Some actually get their own story in the anthology book ''Literature/TalesFromTheMosEisleyCantina''; several who hadn't been named ended up on the Star Wars Databank, where fans were allowed to come up with their own backstories and names, then vote on which ones were the best. After that, though, [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse they tend to never come up again]] - the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse is infamous for this and a few characters do recur, but honestly, most characters in the EU were either named and had a line or two or are entirely original creations who were never on screen. Even fan favorites like Boba Fett and Wedge Antilles, moving on to their own novels and appearing again and again, were minor non-mains who still had lines and plot significance.

** Ask any hardcore ''StarWars'' fan about the silver protocol droid Threepio meets in Cloud City just before he gets blasted. Go ahead. We'll wait.

** Wulff Yularen, originally an unnamed background officer on the Death Star in ''Film/ANewHope'' was given one in the collectible card game and then generally forgotten. Come 2008 and he's probably the largest Republic non-Jedi, non-clone military figure in ''StarWarsTheCloneWars'' for the first two seasons.

** In the novels, Arwen appears only briefly in the main narrative with the majority of her and Aragorn's story relegated to a chapter in the appendix. In Peter Jackson's version, she is featured prominently in all three films and replaces several minor characters, like Glorfindel who aids Aragorn and the Hobbits as they flee the Ringwraiths. Not only does Arwen replace Glorfindel, she's given the additional task of personally carrying Frodo upon her horse, and her CrowningMomentOfAwesome -- "If you want him, come and claim him!" -- is a unique addition to the film. In the novel, Glorfindel places Frodo on his horse and then stays behind with Aragorn and the Hobbits to do what he can to slow the Ringwraiths' pursuit, at which point the narrative focus shifts entirely to Frodo.

* In ''TheHangover'' trilogy, Leslie Chow goes from a minor role in the first, to a bigger supporting role in the second, and basically the main antagonist in the third.

* The ''Jason Bourne'' Series: Nicolette Parsons in ''Identity'' started out as a bit of an inexperienced analyst who had subtle ties to Bourne and was very much on the sidelines for the whole movie. ''Supremacy'' had Nicky be the one to attest to the fact that Bourne had amnesia and she allowed for herself to be sent out in the field to meet with him and learned his side of the story as to the deaths of their agents earlier (albeit while being held at gunpoint). ''Ultimatum'' had Nicky become the possible new love interest, had Bourne run into her again and team up with her to learn about Blackbriar and expose the conspiracy. Her role in the upcoming ''Jason Bourne'' seems to continue on as it is now or be growing. In the first movie, Julia Stiles received 10th billing for her role, in the second one, she received 4th billing for her role and in the third one, she was billed only 2nd to Matt Damon.

** Agent PhilCoulson is one of the most triumphant examples ever. He started out as a minor comic relief character in the first ''Film/IronMan1'' movie. His popularity led to his role becoming recurring in ''Film/IronMan2'' and ''Film/{{Thor}}''. Then he became the main character of two of the Film/MarvelOneShots short films. Then he got a role in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Ultimate Spider-Man}}'' animated series and became a CanonImmigrant to the main 616 universe in the comics. Then he got a much bigger role in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', even appearing on some versions of the poster. And now [[spoiler: he's BackFromTheDead and is starring in [[Series/AgentsOfSHIELD his own series]].]] All within five years since his first appearance.

* In the original ''Disney/SleepingBeauty'', King Stefan was just a BumblingDad of a king who had about one scene. In ''Film/{{Maleficent}}'', he's a guileful, skilled warrior who was the titular character's childhood friend, and whose actions are what started the plot of the movie in the first place.