I didn't do GCSEs (aside from English and Maths) and A-Levels - am I screwed for uni?

Hi there, I am 20 and will be turning 21 at the end of January.

To sum things up, I did not have a very good education. I went to a special needs school due to my autism, which did not do GCSEs. Once I learned about GCSEs and how my place was not doing them, I flipped my lid, but by then it was too late - I was in Year 11 and could not switch to a school that did GCSEs. Eventually I got out at age 17 (that school wanted me to stay until I was 19) and enrolled onto a course that allowed me to get my English and Maths GCSEs as well as do an Entry Level 3 course in games and media.

It all went well until I caught COVID in June 2022. It seemed to have given me a trigger involving coughs, as I lashed out whenever people coughed near me in my subsequent Level 1 course. Let's just say my mental health deteriorated significantly (up to, sorry, kicking a teacher) and the college didn't invite me back for the Level 2 course.

I've been a NEET for about 1 and a half years now, and would like to return to education. Problem is, the college I went to won't allow me back onto their Level 2 course due to, y'know, kicking the teacher, and no other college has the Level 2 media course they offer. This is why I'm considering university instead. (In case you're interested in the subjects I want to study, they are history or film studies, possibly Japanese.)

IDK if an Access course will by fully sufficient, given my lack of GCSEs or any Level 3 qualifications, so IDK the route to go down - should I pay up the nose for GCSEs and A-Levels or do an Access course in Humanities? (Humanities obviously covers History, but would it also be good for Film Studies or Japanese?)