Scott Pilgrim vs the World is a pop culture gem that has overcome its initial lack of box office success to become one of the most beloved and enjoyable films of the 2010s. Director and co-writer Edgar Wright, this fun and colorful adventure is known for its comic book-style aesthetic and classic arcade game play. Over the years, it has become a cult classic adored by fans of a wide variety of genres. From video games to comics to rock music, this movie is a hilarious action comedy with something for everyone.
However, during the development of the film, an alternate ending came up that would greatly change how much “fun” the film was supposed to have. What if the humor and comics in the movie weren’t homages to pop culture and entertainment, but symptoms of man’s insane delusions? Wright revealed that one ending they briefly considered for the film involved a major shift in the film’s reality, turning Scott from a simple slacker anti-hero into… a serial killer?
What is Scott Pilgrim vs. the World about?
Scott Pilgrim vs the World follows the titled Scott (Michael Cera), a 22-year-old loser from Toronto, Canada. At the beginning of the film, Scott plays bass in the underrated band Sex Bob-Ombs and is dating a 17-year-old girl named Knives Chau.Ellen Wong). However, at a party, he falls in love with a mysterious new IT girl who has just moved into town: Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Scott immediately falls in love with her brightly dyed hair (which changes frequently throughout the film) and witty sarcasm, deciding to shoot and chase her. However, before he can date this newly arrived girl of his dreams, he must defeat her Seven Evil Exes.
The film follows Scott on his misadventures as he fights Ramona’s former romantic partners, who have banded together to form the League of Evil Exes. Scott will have to take on his exes in a highly stylized action inspired by retro arcade video games and comics. Plenty of action awaits you, ranging from intense electric bass battles to game-style fighting games complete with flaming swords and 1-Up lives.
This Scott Pilgrim vs. the World Alternate Ending Had a Dark Twist
To be honest, Scott Pilgrim sucks as a person, but that’s the point. However, one alternate ending to the film elevated him from problematic to outright killer. As confirmed by the director and co-writer of the film, Edgar Wright, had an alternate ending that revealed that Scott was actually a serial killer. The plan was to make a report that featured a local teenager who killed seven people. In a psychological thriller, this would essentially confirm that Scott actually killed Ramona’s exes and not just beat them up in arcade style. In fact, the question of Scott’s sanity will be the subject of further study, as it would make the action of the video game and the visuals of the movie the result of deep psychological escapism. Needless to say, it’s a good thing that this ending didn’t get developed. Not only would it be such a drastic change in tone from the rest of the movie, it would be a crazy departure from the graphic novel source material.
This wasn’t Scott Pilgrim’s only alternate ending.
Another possible alternate ending that was considered would have Scott ended up with the Knives instead of Ramona. This ending was one of the original ideas for ending the film and featured two notable changes. The first was to come after Scott successfully defeated Ramona’s latest evil ex. Before he can pursue Ramona, the Knives intercept him. The scene ended with a text bubble that updated the character’s information in “Knives” and read: “Knives Chow, 18”. her. The film ended with Scott and Knives kissing and then playing Ninja Dance Dance Revolution at the end of the film.
While this possible ending was far less lethal than the serial killer option, there are some things that don’t fit that option either. Throughout the film, Scott actively tried (and succeeded) to cheat on his underage girlfriend. Even when Knives turns 18, it doesn’t erase Scott’s uncool, unlucky behavior throughout the film. Even though these two do have chemistry and fun with each other, it begs the question if they’ve ever been In fact good to each other. Even Wright told Collider ten years after the film’s release that he preferred the theatrical ending, stating that the Knives ending just “wasn’t right.”
Who were the seven evil… victims?
Ramona Flowers’ Seven Evil Exes, or in the case of one alternate ending, The Seven Unfortunate Victims, were actually quite a stellar ensemble. The list includes many actors who have gone on to become Hollywood celebrities and celebrities, making a look at the film’s cast a snapshot of popular culture.
Matthew PatelSatya Bhabha) was Ramona’s boyfriend in high school. With magical powers such as levitation and pyrokinesis, he was the first to introduce Scott to the challenge of defeating Ramona’s past novels. Her second ex was Lucas Lee, played by the incomparable Chris Evans. In between playing the Human Torch but before donning the stars and stripes of Captain America, Evans played this obnoxious ex-boyfriend. The former figure skater turned movie star combined bravado and masculinity in one athletic body.
Todd Ingram was Ramona’s third evil ex and was played by another superhero alum: Brandon Ruth. Ingram was a vegan rock star; the antithesis to Scott, who played bass even more funky than he did. With his veganism came telepathic abilities that made him otherworldly powerful, though his lack of reading the fine print made these abilities short-lived. The fourth ex was Roxy RichterMay Whitman), who was Ramona’s friend in college, who was understandably upset that Ramona treated their relationship as an experiment with her bi-curiosity. Ramona’s less-than-stellar track record was continued by her fifth and sixth evil exes, twins Kyle and Ken Katayanagi. In execution Keita Saitou And Shota Saito accordingly, Ramona cheated on each twin brother with another - oops.
Ramona’s last evil ex was the film’s main villain: Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman) was the final boss of Scott’s trial. It was he who brought Ramona’s former lovers together to form the League of Evil Exes together (via Craigslist, by the way). He was an evil mastermind full of devious schemes that ranged from emotionally controlling Ramona with a microchip to attacking Scott with an evil version of himself named Nega Scott. Fortunately for Scott, this last plan did not work for Gideon and he was able to successfully overcome his machinations and free Ramona.
Scott Pilgrim vs the World is a captivating comedy adventure all the way through. Whether you think Scott should have stayed with Ramona, stayed with Knives, or ended up in jail, there’s no denying the nice visuals, music, and plenty of easter eggs throughout the movie. Fans of the film looking for more video game-inspired fun should look forward to the upcoming Netflix anime series, which sees the original cast return to voice their quirky and memorable characters.
Source: Collider
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