The fact that the woman was created from the man’s rib seems to suggest the male’s superiority over the female. This is the understanding, for example, of Ralbag:
“Woman was created from man, because he is the reason for her existence, that is to say, she was created to serve him… She was created from him, so that she should be more obedient to him and perform the services that he requires… This is not the case regarding other living creatures. And for this reason they were created together from one place.” (Ralbag, Commentary to the Torah)
At the end of the passage, Ralbag argues that it is only in the human species that the female is inferior to the male. Hence, it was only the man who was created alone without his wife, she being created only afterwards. [This explanation is also found in Ra’avad’s “Ba’alei HaNefesh,”]
The Ba’alei HaTosafos explained that it was because of her inferiority and subservience to her husband that the woman was created from his rib:
“There is a difficulty: why was the woman created from a rib, and not some other organ? So that she should be bent at the ribs and subservient to her husband.” (Ba’alei HaTosafos Al HaTorah)