While it's easy to be upset when directors chop cool-sounding scenes out of our favorite
movies, the reality is that deleted scenes are a necessity.
But every once in a while, a deleted scene is uncovered that completely alters our perception
of a film.
In fact, it could be argued that some of the most legendary scenes to ever hit the cutting
room floor would have actually improved the films they were removed from.
Join us as we uncover the very best deleted scenes that deserve to be pulled out of the
trash and given their own time to shine in the spotlight.
Aliens
After surviving the events of Alien, Ellen Ripley wakes up in the sequel to discover
that she's spent 57 years traveling in hypersleep.
Audiences who saw the original theatrical cut of Aliens assume that Ripley shrugs this
ordeal off for the most part.
But a deleted scene that ended up in the 1992 special edition reveals how the psychological
impact of this experience hurt our heroine far more than anyone ever realized.
Following her awakening, Ripley meets company rep Carter Burke and asks about her daughter,
insisting on answers.
After some hesitation, Burke reluctantly reveals that her daughter died two years earlier,
at the age of 66.
Upon seeing a photograph of Amanda Ripley aged beyond recognition, Sigourney Weaver's
heroine is overcome with shock and grief.
"I promised her…
I'd be home for her... 11th birthday."
In hindsight, it's hard to understand why director James Cameron chose to remove this
scene in the first place.
Not only does the loss of Ripley's daughter help contextualize the subsequent bond that
she forms with Newt, but it also serves as a stunning showcase of Weaver's acting ability.
X-Men: First Class
In 2011, X-Men: First Class rebooted the mutant franchise, in the process revealing how the
central relationship between Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr came to be.
With that in mind, it made perfect sense to see these two bitter rivals initially become
friends.
However, we didn't expect to see Xavier telepathically alter the perceptions of a potential new student
to convince her that Magneto was dressed in women's clothing.
"It's good, isn't it."
"What?"
"How did you do that?"
That's right.
The Blu-ray edition of First Class revealed a deleted scene in which Michael Fassbender
actually wore a wig and dressed in drag while recruiting new students.
Unfortunately, this hilarious moment never made it to cinemas, but now that it's come
to light, it's easy to see why Magneto eventually turned against his old friend.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Here's another example of James Cameron dropping the ball on one of his most popular movies.
In Terminator 2: Judgment Day, John Connor asks the Terminator about his mechanical mind
and discovers that his newfound protector can learn human behavior after being exposed
to it for prolonged periods of time.
However, a deleted scene found on the special edition of T2 reveals that Skynet limited
the Terminator's processors to a "read only" function by default, preventing it from actually
understanding human behavior on a personal level.
Cue a visually stunning scene during which John and his mother open up the Terminator's
skull to manually alter his CPU.
"Was there a problem?"
"No problem.
None whatsoever."
This deleted scene serves as yet another reminder of how groundbreaking the visual effects were
in T2.
But more importantly, the ramifications of what happened here pay off later in the movie,
as the Terminator displays empathy in the final scene.
Mean Girls
One of the defining moments from the classic 2004 teen comedy Mean Girls is when Cady breaks
her crown at the end and throws out the pieces to the other girls who deserve the title of
Spring Fling Queen, including frenemy Regina George.
At the time, audiences assumed Cady and Regina hadn't yet made up following the fight that
culminated in that brutal bus ordeal.
But a deleted scene reveals that the pair did actually speak before the prom.
"Stop trying to make this all about you, I'm the one that got hit by a bus."
"I'm sorry about all the other stuff too.
"OK.
I'm going to forgive you."
Sure, Regina is on pain medication in this moment, but it actually goes a long way to
help humanize her and also further explains Cady's subsequent act of kindness.
It's a shame that audiences didn't see this conversation play out in theaters, but Mean
Girls remains totally fetch nonetheless.
"Stop trying to make fetch happen.
It's not going to happen."
Blade Runner
The question of whether Rick Deckard is a replicant has plagued film lovers for decades.
However, Blade Runner director Ridley Scott insists that Deckard is an artificial being,
and he included a scene that arguably proves this in his official Director's Cut.
In typically puzzling fashion, the original cut of Blade Runner includes a scene in which
Deckard finds an origami unicorn during his escape with Rachael.
All audiences know at this stage is that a fellow blade runner named Gaff left this behind
for Deckard, but the reason why is unclear.
However, in a deleted scene that Scott included in later versions, Deckard dreams of a unicorn.
The suggestion here is that Gaff left this origami for him because he knows Deckard's
memories and innermost thoughts.
How would he know this?
Because Deckard is a replicant, and these memories were implants.
The Thing
John Carpenter's sci-fi horror classic The Thing has inspired debates surrounding its
protagonist, and whether he can be trusted by the film's end.
The Antarctic base where pilot R.J. MacReady has been sent is occupied by a shape-shifting
alien that impersonates the people it kills.
In the final scene, MacReady and fellow survivor Childs are the only two who remain, leaving
audiences to guess whether one of them is secretly the monster in disguise.
"Why don't we just wait here for a little while, see what happens."
In an alternate ending, it's revealed that the alien does in fact survive, escaping the
Antarctic base in the form of a husky.
This deleted scene strongly suggest that MacReady definitely did die, no matter who the monster
was impersonating.
However, this still doesn't explain which survivor held a deadly secret at the end of
the original theatrical cut.
But some eagle-eyed fans noticed that Childs doesn't appear to be breathing in that last
scene, whereas MacReady's icy breath can be seen in the air, suggesting that Childs isn't
really human after all.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
With director Zack Snyder trying to turn the DCEU into a viable cinematic universe, a lot
of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice felt rushed.
At times, characters even seemed to possess knowledge that should have been out of their
reach.
The most obvious example occurs toward the end, when an imprisoned Lex Luthor alludes
to an evil force that threatens to destroy the earth.
"But the bell's already been rung, and they've heard it."
Comic book fans assumed that this ominous warning was linked to Darkseid in some way.
And they were right, as his nephew Steppenwolf arrived soon after to cause havoc for our
heroes in Justice League.
But how did Superman's arch-nemesis know Steppenwolf would travel to Earth in the first place?
In the Ultimate Edition of Dawn of Justice, a deleted scene set on the Kryptonian ship
Luthor captured reveals that the megalomaniac experienced direct contact with Steppenwolf.
Sure, the character design changed dramatically between films, but at least we finally know
the truth about what Luthor was talking about while trapped in his cell.
"I believe in truth.
But I'm also a big fan of justice."
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
For decades, audiences have argued over the existence of numerous plot holes in the Star
Wars franchise.The one that arguably sticks out the most is why Luke Skywalker was never
told the true identity of his father.
Sure, this omission built impressive amounts of tension between Skywalker and Darth Vader,
but one has to question why Obi-Wan Kenobi didn't tell him long
before the pair finally clashed in battle.
Well, it turns out that Return of the Jedi originally included another line that explains
exactly why Kenobi originally withheld this vital information, and it's all because of
Yoda.
When Luke returns to Yoda's bedside one last time, the fuzzy green Jedi reveals that he
forbade Kenobi from telling him the truth about Vader.
"Not yet ready for the burden, were you."
"Obi-Wan would have told you long ago, had I let him."
Not only does this deleted scene solve one of the most troubling plot holes in the franchise,
it also sheds new light on Kenobi's relationship with Yoda and their power dynamic.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1
Long before Voldemort reemerged to cause havoc in Harry Potter's life, the young wizard had
to deal with an evil far closer to home: his abusive aunt, uncle, and cousin, who adopted
him following his parents' deaths.
It's easy to picture these characters purely in terms of light and darkness.
But a deleted scene removed from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 reminds us that
everyone contains elements of both, including Harry's rude cousin, Dudley Dursley.
"I don't think you're a waste of space."
"Thanks."
While it's unfortunate that this parting was cut, it's still heartening that fans eventually
got to see this important moment play out in live action.