11 Deleted Scenes From Popular Movies That Shouldn't Have Been, And 11 That Were Rightfully Cut
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Films are like puzzle pieces; sometimes, one piece could make or break an entire film. So, here are 11 deleted movie scenes that should have made the cut and 11 that deserve an eternity in the recycle bin:
1.RESTORE IT: In this deleted Star Wars: The Last Jedi scene, Luke Skywalker mourns his friend's death.
This short 16-second deleted clip shows Luke reacting to the news of Han's death. It's a straightforward but impactful moment because it shows viewers that despite his "hermit-like" attitude, he is still broken about losing his closest friend.
The sequel trilogy cost fans a chance to see the original trio together again, so this moment felt great for what was happening inside Luke.
2.KEEP IT DELETED: The Batman teases our first look at the Joker with a full-length deleted scene that's very...meh.
In this scene, Batman goes to Arkham to speak to the Joker. It's a five-minute scene with some decent acting, but that's where it ends. The scene is very forgettable and is less unique compared to the uniqueness of other scenes in The Batman.
Everyone is trying to recapture Heath Ledger's performance from The Dark Knight instead of reimagining a new take on the character. That's why The Riddler worked so well in this film.
3.RESTORE IT: In this deleted Mean Girls scene, Regina and Cady have a heart-to-heart.
It was as if a bus hit this scene, but it should have found its way in the final cut. It shows the chiller side of both characters as they have a good moment of forgiveness.
The only reason I can think of for it being cut was that it "takes away" from the tension of Cady snapping the prom crown, which, like, okay? It's a teen comedy, not a tension-driven drama.
4.KEEP IT DELETED: In this deleted scene from Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos gives his daughter Gamora a trippy guilt trip.
In this scene, Thanos uses one of his infinity stones to play back a memory between him and his daughter Gamora. Unfinished graphics aside, the scene seems unnecessary. The script did a great job with these two characters, so it's not that the scene is terrible, just a little redundant.
Plus, this moment didn't add anything to an already two-and-a-half-hour film.
5.RESTORE IT: In Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part I, this deleted scene gives Dudley a very "Dudley" sendoff.
In this deleted scene, Dudley tells Harry he doesn't think he's "a waste of space" and shakes his hand. It's a quick little moment, but it also feels like the first gut punch of this being the franchise's final installment.
It is also a shame that a big franchise like this wouldn't give 20 seconds of film to include a scene for someone who had appeared in all of them.
6.KEEP IT DELETED: The Thing's deleted ending undermines the famous final scene.
This deleted after-credits scene shows a dog similar to the one we see in the opening, looking back at the burning research station. This makes the viewer question if the "Thing" is still loose and alive.
To put it plainly, this ending is so much more generic than the theatrical version. As a horror fan, and as someone who believes this might be the best horror film ever made, I'm glad it was deleted.
7.RESTORE IT: In this deleted song from The Muppet Christmas Carol, Scrooge and Belle sing "When Love Is Gone" to pluck at the heart strings.
This deleted scene shows Scrooge letting go of his past love, and it's an absolute crusher. Maybe it was too much for a movie aimed at children, but Michael Caine delivered. It's a version of Scrooge we never see other than a slight tear in other versions.
It's a touching, bittersweet scene and a big reason why the muppet version of A Christmas Carol might have the most heart of any other adaptation.
8.KEEP IT DELETED: Jaws has this bizarre deleted, and pretty pointless, scene where Quint trolls a kid.
A kid practices playing an instrument while Quint stands behind him and mimics the terrible sound. It's shot in a way that almost feels like this was going to be some weird Pepsi ad.
This deleted scene might be the most useless on this whole list. There are hilarious moments in Jaws, but this feels disjointed from the comedic style.
9.RESTORE IT: I Am Legend has a deleted scene that offers a WAY better alternate ending.
In this deleted scene, which is also an alternate ending, we see Robert Neville come face-to-face with the darkseekers. We learn that they are only attacking because he keeps abducting their kind to experiment on and that they are smarter than we thought. They take the captive and leave.
In the theatrical release, Robert Neville sacrifices himself by blowing himself up to "kill the monsters" so the other characters can escape. I think it's a pretty universal opinion that this should have been the theatrical ending.
10.KEEP IT DELETED: Hook gives the lost boys a proper introduction in this deleted scene, but it misses the mark.
In this deleted scene, Peter hears from the lost boys, who introduce themselves, and convince Peter to fly, fight, and crow.
The one thing that makes this scene worth deleting is it shows a little too much of Rufio, who we are made to believe is a jerk teenage boy, but his presence in this scene makes him feel less mean. So, in a way, the scene lessens the impact of Rufio's character throughout the first two acts. Plus, "show rather than tell" is always better for introductions.
11.RESTORE IT: We learn about the fate of Ripley's daughter in this deleted scene from Aliens.
The deleted scene shows Ripley grieving over the daughter that she had left behind. She sees a photo of her daughter, an old woman she does not recognize, and she proceeds to cry, learning she missed out on her daughter's whole life.
I understand Aliens wanted to be more of an action film, but this two-minute scene needed to be in the film. It adds much more weight to Ripley's relationship with Newt and why she becomes so attached to the child.
12.KEEP IT DELETED: This impressive deleted scene from Titanic has Jack facing off against Lovejoy and becoming an action hero.
Let me start by saying this deleted scene is excellent from a set standpoint. The way everything in the sinking ship moves around is incredible, but the scene itself is a drag in an already long movie.
Lovejoy is handed off the gun to hunt down Jack and Rose in what is a needless action and suspense scene. It does nothing for the overall story other than give Jack a chance to brawl.
13.RESTORE IT: In a great deleted scene from Spider-Man 2, J. Jonah Jameson wears the Spidey suit.
This deleted moment shows the charismatic newspaper editor wearing the trashed spidey suit. Is it essential? No. Is it amazing? Yes. The Sam Raimi trilogy is filled with so much campiness that this scene fits perfectly and shows that he secretly admires the superhero.
I want pictures of J. K. Simmons in the Spider-Man suit on my desk immediately!
14.KEEP IT DELETED: Superman Returns...to Krypton in a costly deleted scene.
This deleted scene shows Superman back on his destroyed home planet of Krypton. This is the part where I explain what happens, but, being brutally honest, nothing does.
The scene is rather dull and doesn't do anything for the story. It is believed this scene cost about $11M to film, making it rumored to be one of the most expensive deleted scenes ever.
15.RESTORE IT: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers has a flashback deleted scene where we get more of Boromir/Faramir's family dynamic.
In this deleted flashback, we see through Faramir's eyes to learn why he is so determined to take the ring for himself. We learn it isn't really for his home of Gondor but to appease his awful father, who treats him like trash.
I'm not as big of a fan of the extended edition as other Lord of the Rings fans, but this is one of the few deleted scenes I wish had stayed. It's a lovely scene that shows Boromir again in a good light, it gives us some insight into Faramir's lousy relationship with his father, and it teases their father's terrible personality.
16.KEEP IT DELETED: In this Back to the Future deleted scene, Marty McFly is concerned the fallout of this whole time travel experience will make him gay.
This deleted scene shows Marty openly discussing hitting on his mom while stuck in the past and worried it would screw him up for life...like turning him gay. Doc Brown thinks he means "happy gay," and the scene ends.
It's a swing-and-miss comedy-wise and seems really out of place. It makes Marty seem awful, but also, the open discussion of what he plans to do to his mom is really uncomfortable. This was a crucial cut from the film because this scene would have sunk the film, especially in the long run.
17.RESTORE IT: In this deleted scene for The Wolverine, the iconic Wolverine costume is finally shown on-screen.
In this deleted scene, the audience first sees the Wolverine superhero costume that had been absent for...(counts the total number of X-Men movies)...SIX films at the time! It's a quick unboxing but a solid tease for the future of Wolverine we never got.
Let Hugh wear the stinkin' costume, Deadpool 3!
18.KEEP IT DELETED: The Wolfman's extended opening gives the main character a much-needed backstory, but this deleted scene of the Wolfman attacking townsfolk does nothing for the story.
In this deleted scene, the Wolfman interrupts a party where a blind woman sings. He ends up going up to her and attacking the whole room. After, he kills a puppeteer.
It does nothing for the story that the theatrical cut offers at this moment. I didn't like this movie my first viewing, but the extended opening in the director's cut fixed the overall pacing problem in this film. The blind woman scene did not make the director's cut.
19.RESTORE IT: In this Silence of the Lambs deleted scene, Hannibal shows sympathy for Buffalo Bill.
Clarice goes for another visit to Hannibal in this deleted interaction of him talking about the type of man Buffalo Bill probably is with a teary-eyed speech.
It was unique to see Hannibal in a more vulnerable state and great to have a scene dive into the mind of a serial killer. Sure, he seems less menacing, but the humanity he shows might make him more horrifying.
20.KEEP IT DELETED: This deleted scene from Bruce Almighty has Bruce find Bigfoot during a skydiving trip.
Bruce crashes while skydiving and falls on Bigfoot in one of the weirdest deleted scenes ever.
I viewed a lot of deleted scenes for this post, and I think this might have been the worst of the bunch. Despite loving other Jim Carrey films, I didn't like Bruce Almighty at all. That said, I wish I could unsee this deleted scene.
21.RESTORE IT: In this Star Wars: Return of the Jedi deleted scene, the Emperor threatens to wipe out Luke Skywalker's friends with the Death Star II.
In this deleted scene, the Emperor orders the Death Star II to blow up the Endor moon, despite his troops having boots on the ground, to anger Luke.
If the footage were of the Emperor, this scene would make all the other cutaways to other battles happening concurrently vital because we, the audience, are genuinely terrified for Leia and Han since they are on a mission on said planet. It also works as the perfect push for Luke to fight his father despite refusing to "strike the emperor down" with his hate.
22.KEEP IT DELETED: And finally, another Return of the Jedi deleted scene has Yoda covering for Obi-Wan only to make himself seem worse.
Maybe my most divisive entry on this list because I know fans like it, but this deleted moment where Yoda tells Luke that he told Obi-Wan not to burden Luke with the truth about his father.
Although it may seem like a helpful scene, it now just places blame on Yoda for the dishonesty. I think audiences can infer that Obi-Wan didn't tell him because he wouldn't face him otherwise, and Yoda even says he wasn't ready for the burden by skipping out on his training. Star Wars fans can be a bit much when it comes to layered characters that make imperfect decisions. Still, I say ignore the fan opinion and keep this scene deleted since the Jedi are clearly capable of making bad judgment calls.
