I don’t think it is possible to add special clicks to any WIX Widget, because they are one and only element, even if inside the Widget appears to have multiple ones.
The second scenario is totally feasible, although a lit bit tricky. You would have to get the product info using .getProduct() than use its mediaItems to feed a repeater and make them clickable.
You can make the element ( $w ( ‘#productPage’ ) ) collapsed or hidden, and you still would have everything about the product available to you, so you could create a brand new Product Page.