The offbeat comedy Community is more popular today than it ever was when it aired, thanks to its appearance on streaming services and its binge-worthy status. Community was ahead of its time with a cast of talented comedic actors, a unique mixture of sitcom humor, outrageous situations, and occasional animated episodes that included stop motion and an eighties-style tribute to G.I. Joe.
Through the show's run, the cast of characters slowly diminished as actors left the show; however, for some fans, there were a few characters whose departure felt premature. By the final season, even members of the core study group left only to be replaced by characters that didn't live up to the charm of those whom they replaced. What would have become of Community if these cast members had stuck around?
Murray
As Vice Dean Laybourne's second in command in the Air Conditioning Annex, Murray was a cocky repairman who felt threatened by Troy's skills and the Vice Dean's fondness for the newcomer.
As Troy's enemy of the Air Conditioning Annex, Murray could have been fleshed out and thrown into more situations where he and Troy were pitted against each other. They could have even had him return as a ghost, haunting all the other students in Greendale. A missed opportunity on the part of the show's creators.
Vaughn
The hackysack playing, lovably dim-witted Vaughn was a love interest for Britta and Annie, which, in turn, created jealousy within Jeff. Though the character only had a short story arch in season one, he made for an interesting tool in the creation of a love triangle as Jeff came up with ways to sabotage the relationship he had with both women.
With Vaughn being considered Jeff's rival in terms of romantic interests, the chance for more complicated yet entertaining romantic entanglements was there. There could have even been moments where Vaughn questioned Jeff's place as the study group's leader.
Magnitude
Always the life of the party, Magnitude would get his fellow school-mates hyped with his signature catchphrase "Pop-pop!" Though the character was limited in dialogue, he was a favorite among fans and was last seen as an extra in Abed's film "Cheif Starr and the Raiders of the Galaxy" where he's killed by laser bolts.
So little was known about Magnitude. For fans of the character, a larger role could have fleshed out his past and shown more about why he was always ready to party. Was this how Magnitude was all the time? Or was there another side to him? Sadly, fans would never know.
Professor Whitman
When Jeff signs up for the "ultimate blow-off class" to close out the first season of Community, he instead finds himself challenged by the accounting instructor, Professor Whitman.
Whitman goes on to become the coach of Greendale's debate team with the dean and makes his final appearance when he encourages Jeff to choose Britta over Slater. Professor Whitman had so much potential to be one of the main characters in the ongoing story of Community. Perhaps he could have been the one who uplifted the spirits of the study group, creating his own Winger speeches when Jeff couldn't be bothered to.
Vice Dean Laybourne
Vice Dean Laybourne was responsible for luring Troy into the mysterious and secretive world of the Air Conditioning Annex at Greendale college. A serious and stern man, he was in direct contrast to Dean Pelton and had no respect for the head of the school.
Laybourne intimidated Pelton, which would have made for an interesting dynamic throughout the entirety of the show's run since Pelton often went unchallenged. Perhaps he could have even teamed up with Chang or Dean Spreck from time to time in a play for power.
Star-Burns
One of many hilarious background characters, Star-Burns was a student at Greendale who was often involved in shady dealings and was eventually killed when his car was rear-ended and caused the meth lab in his trunk to explode. It was later revealed Star-Burns faked his own death to create a new identity.
Star-Burns was one of the more memorable students of Greendale and would have made a more favorable replacement in the study group in the later seasons as others left the show.
Professor Duncan
The character of Professor Ian Duncan was an integral part of setting up Community's premise. His relationship with Jeff Winger set the series into motion and Professor Duncan appeared sporadically throughout the first three seasons before mysteriously disappearing from the show.
Duncan seemed as though he was used sparingly in the show, though he was a fan favorite from the start. The conflicts he had with Chang could have made for a good recurring storyline as the show went on and it did seem like he had struck up an unlikely friendship with Buzz Hickey. Professor Duncan did return to the show briefly during season five before leaving the show permanently.
Shirley Bennett
Playing the group's moral center, the character of Shirley was often viewed as the mother figure and with a devoted spiritual side, she often tried to steer the group in the right direction. With Pierce and Troy having already been written out of the show, Shirley's departure meant the core group of characters was quickly dwindling.
Although Shirley's presence was sadly missed in season 6, fans understood and respected that Yvette Nicole Brown wanted to leave to take care of her father. However, it would have been nice for the study group to have mentioned her every now and then to provide updates on how she and her family were getting on.
Troy Barnes
Jock turned nerd and Abed's best friend and partner in crime, Troy Barnes was among the favorites of fans of the show. The biggest departure came when Donald Glover left the show just a few episodes into the fifth season. Troy's childlike friendship with Abed was one of the main draws to the show and viewers wanted more stories surrounding the two as the show went on.
The absence of Troy, however, was the beginning of the end for Community. Splitting up the duo that was Troy and Abed turned fans away and it wasn't long before NBC pulled the plug on the struggling comedy. While Glover decided to leave to move on other creative projects, some fans were a little disappointed that there were no further updates to Troy's whereabouts after he left.