Which Super arc comes closest to Toriyama's proposed "Vegeta movie"?

[LoganForkHands73]

Toriyama in Saikyo Jump's Super Q&A:

As for Vegeta, in the event that there’s talk of another animated film, then next time, I’d like him to play the main role. (Of course, this is nothing more than intentions, and I haven’t decided anything at all.)

Although we all know that no Vegeta-focused animated movie really came to pass and likely never came past the brainstorming stage as Toriyama himself admits here, it's obvious that Vegeta's character development was put into focus throughout the entirety of Dragon Ball Super. My question is, out of all of the arcs so far, which one really explores Vegeta deepest of all? Which one can be said to truly focus on him as the protagonist, above or equal to Goku?

Although the Golden Freeza arc gives Vegeta a token moment in the spotlight, I don't think anyone would in good faith call this a "Vegeta movie". His presence in the story is minimal until he steps in with Super Saiyan Blue to lay a cathartic beatdown on Freeza. Neither of the following Super movies place much focus on Vegeta specifically, either.

The Universe 6 arc has a very good claim. The story may be fairly minimal, but Vegeta spends by far the most time in the arena and claims three victories to his name. He bounces well off Cabba, Frost, and Hit, though the latter beats him without effort, allowing Goku to reclaim the spotlight in the final act.

Vegeta goes to town on Goku Black in both versions of the Future Trunks arc, but it's fair to say that he's overshadowed by... well, Future Trunks. It's his purple blue-haired son's story, at its core. His role decreases further in the Tournament of Power arc, less so in the anime where he gets several focus episodes, but certainly in the manga where he barely does anything aside from assist Goku here and there.

However, Toyotaro's two original Super arcs place heavy focus on Vegeta and give him a compelling through-line of grappling with the guilt of his past sins and his inferiority complex towards Goku. I'd personally say from the Moro arc to the Granolah arc is the closest thing we got to Vegeta truly shining as a main protagonist above or at least equal to Goku, purely in terms of the focus allotted to him and how he gets to develop across both arcs. Fans dunk on Vegeta in both arcs because he arbitrarily doesn't get a big W against any of the main antagonists, but then in most cases, neither does Goku. So, as a cheat move, I'm going to say both the Moro and Granolah arcs come closest to being the "Vegeta arc".

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

Universe 6 would have been a great set up for Vegeta visiting planet Sadala and training Cabba to be a great fighter. I think the problem is that modern Dragon Ball isn't just Toriyama's vision, a lot of it is either by committee or Toyotaro taking over the reins.

Tournaments are simple arcs that have been done before, granted we never had one like the Tournament of Power where all of existence was at stake, but apart from that were getting very little from Toriyama, to the extent we aren't going to see his ideas fleshed out.

The Future Trunks arc was an idea from the editorial room that was written first and foremost for fanservice. The same could be said for Broly, although that movie went in a neat new direction for the character, it was still milking a Super popular character.

The Moro and Granolah arcs are Toyotaro ideas, and if he doesn't have an idea for a Vegeta arc in mind he probably won't go that route.

In Super Hero Goku and Vegeta are so insignificant they could be cut entirely and nothing would be lost that matters.

It's been many years, so for all we know Toriyama may have forgotten about something being done with Vegeta, or it may have been an offhand comment he wasn't willing to commit to. It's a shame, I was excited for it.

[Koitsukai]

I'd say the Granola arc is the closest. He soon takes the spotlight and develops a special bond with the initial main antagonist, pulls out a new form.

The Moro arc has some nice development for Geets but he's out of comission for most of the arc (training on some other planet, or unconscious) and whatever he does amounts to nothing. Although he is much more useful vs Planet Moro than he is vs Gas.

For a Vegeta movie, I think what's portrayed in the Granny arc is what one would expect. While Moro arc has him failing to finish Moro off and he ends up becoming even stronger, and ends up holding the fort until the MC beats the villain. He does bring back to life all the namekians, but that's hardly the highlight we'd like to get in a Geets movie.

[Cipher]

As others have noted, the Granolah arc feels like it gives him the most substantial focus. He shares a triple spotlight with Goku and Granolah, but I think Vegeta's role feels the most prominent and fleshed out. It really does feel like his arc, and he's the most engaging and likable in it he's been in all of Super.

Among the movies, though? "F," as Vegeta essentially gets the climax, even if it winds up being something of a fake-out. (He gets the traditional victory against the antagonist though, even with Goku's unconventional mop-up.)