Dragon Ball fans have always loved Vegeta, and creator Akira Toriyama was well aware of this. Although Vegeta was not Toriyama’s personal favorite character, he recognized the strong appeal Vegeta held, so much so that he once considered making a standalone movie focused on him.
Despite Vegeta’s popularity, he is often cast as a supporting character to Goku. Goku usually claims the final victory against powerful foes or defeats Vegeta with a new transformation. While Vegeta has come to accept this over the years, many fans still wish to see him win a major battle on his own, without Goku’s help.
Toriyama Once Teased a Vegeta-Centered Movie
In a March 2014 interview with Naho Ooishi published in Saikyo Jump, Akira Toriyama ended the conversation by revealing a hint about his “next movie.”
Toriyama said, “As for Vegeta, if there’s going to be another animated movie, next time I want him to be the main character. (Of course, this is just an idea, and I haven’t made any decisions yet.)”
The interview took place after Battle of Gods (2013) but before Resurrection F (2015). Although Vegeta had a bigger role in Resurrection F compared to the previous film, he was still not the central character. So Toriyama’s comment clearly wasn’t referring to that movie.
After Resurrection F, the Dragon Ball TV anime returned as Dragon Ball Super, starting by adapting those two movies before continuing with original storylines. There were no other Dragon Ball movies until Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2018) and then Super Hero (2022), neither of which focused on Vegeta.
What Might Toriyama’s Vegeta Movie Have Looked Like?
Fans have every reason to feel bittersweet about losing a Vegeta-focused movie, but what could they have expected if it had been made? As Toriyama made clear, this was just a spontaneous idea, so it’s unlikely he had a full plan to complete the story.
Any attempt to speculate on the plot of a Vegeta movie remains just that, speculation. However, such a film would likely need to keep Goku out of the spotlight, possibly by sidelining or “removing” him early on so he couldn’t appear and resolve the conflict.
A movie like this would be fascinating, showing Vegeta defending what he values on his own and growing further into a hero from his villainous past. Fans are surely heartbroken knowing this project came so close to reality, and it feels even more significant now that Toriyama has passed away.
Hopefully, if Dragon Ball Super continues, Vegeta will finally get his own dedicated storyline and fulfill this long-held wish once and for all.
Source: Screenrant