9 Origin Movies That Actually Worked

7. Monsters University

Though it was far more belated than it needed to be, there needn't have been any concerns about the Monsters Inc prequel that established how Mike and Sully became best friends.

Typically rich in story and brilliant world-building (this is Pixar after all), Monsters University expands on the universe established in its predecessor and the lore of scaring in a way that genuinely improves the first movie.

And in flipping the dynamic between Mike and Sully and making them enemies fills in the blank of why a scare jock would be friends with a neurotic ball of angst. In both their cases, we get the footsteps that lead to their personalities in Monsters Inc: from Mike's issues with confidence to why Sully's heart is as it is. That's what a great origin story should do for characters - giving not just powers context but actual traits.