8 Movie Heroes You Didn’t Realise Were Actually The Sidekicks

20th Century Fox apparently thought they were getting an Indiana Jones style romp when they greenlit Big Trouble In Little China and were horrified when they saw the final cut. The supposed hero Kurt Russell is a bumbling idiot, and his Chinese friend Wang is the one performing kung-fu and generally being a badass. 

He’s the one trying to rescue his girlfriend from an evil sorcerer, and his friend Jack comes along for the ride. This comedic twist was intentional, and is one of the main reasons Big Trouble became a beloved cult hit. The muscle bound American is a loud mouth fool and his Chinese friend is the one saving the day.

But the studio was furious with this and director John Carpenter was forced to shoot a new intro where a character speaks of Burton’s bravery and courage. This is despite the clear evidence he’s fairly useless, like the moment he accidentally knocks himself unconscious before the final brawl. But in Jack’s defence he does eventually kill the main villain, so he has his virtues.

Odds are that in the upcoming remake The Rock will be a tad more heroic in the lead role.  

Can you think of any other examples of a movie's hero really just being the sidekick to another character? Share your choices in the comments below.