‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ Alternate Ending Almost Made Michael Cera’s Scott a Serial Killer
Hollywood rarely puts out a movie that doesn’t have one (or multiple) alternate endings. As an audience, we don’t always get to see these alternate versions, unless they happen to be included in a special blu-ray edition of the film.
Sometimes they’re not much different from the original endings. But, once in awhile, you’ll come across one that makes you look at the film in a whole new light.
The underrated movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World had two alternate endings that not many people knew about. One of them, like most, didn’t stray too far from the theater version. However, one of the alternatives completely changes the way you portray the protagonist of the film.
‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’: The battle of the evil exes
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was an action-comedy based on the series of graphic novels. The film follows bass player Scott Pilgrim on a hilarious journey involving insane exes and music competitions.
Scott’s rock band, Sex Bob-Omb, is dating Knives Chau at the beginning of the film. He soon meets Ramona Flowers, a delivery girl, and is instantly smitten. He’s even more taken with Ramona because he actually dreamed about her before meeting her.
When Sex Bom-Omb enters a battle of the bands competition, Scott is attacked by one of Ramona’s exes. After defeating his foe, he learns that he actually has to defeat six more of her evil exes if he wants to date her. Ramona’s exes include a skateboarding actor, a ninja, and a record exec.
As if battling his new love’s psycho exes isn’t bad enough, Scott also has a run-in with his own ex, pop star Envy Adams. Not only did Envy brutally dump Scott and break his heart, she also happened to date one of Ramona’s exes. She claimed to know a lot of sordid info about Ramona, which she gladly shares with Scott.
How did ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ end?
In the movie, Scott runs to the Chaos Theater to confront Ramona’s final ex, Gideon. The two become entangled in a video-game style smackdown, and Scott notices that Knives has attacked Ramona. He runs to break up the violence between the girls, and reveals that he cheated on both of them. Before he can apologize, Scott is stabbed in the back by Gideon’s sword.
Scott wakes up in a desert, where he sees Ramona and learns that Gideon has been controlling her mind with a chip he installed in her back. Earlier in the film, Scott had earned an extra life when he defeated two of Ramona’s exes. He used the extra life to undo his death, and returns to the moment he was rushing into the Chaos Theater.
This time, Scott realizes the damage he’s done and resolves numerous issues with his friends. Again, he reveals to Knives and Ramona that he cheated on them, but he quickly apologizes and diffuses the fight between the girls. Gideon attacks Scott, but Knives and Ramona come to his aid. Gideon hurts Ramona, and Knives and Scott become infuriated, finally defeating him.
Scott then has to face the darker version of himself, Nega Scott. There is an anti-climax, where Scott ends up befriending his darker self, and the movie has a happy ending. Scott chooses to start over with Ramona, and the two leave to begin a new relationship.
What was the alternate ending for ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’?
There were two alternate ending possibilities for the film. The original ending was showed in a test version of the movie, and the significant difference was that Scott ended up with Knives rather than Ramona. The scene shows Scott meeting up with Knives, and in the distance he sees Ramona. Ramona walks off and Scott kisses Knives.
The other alternate ending was never filmed. In this version, the ending would have revealed that the whole situation had been a dream. Scott was actually a serial killer who murdered seven people, then dreamed up the video game scenario. The plan was to have a local news station covering the murders.
“I don’t know. I mean, I really don’t know what the right ending is,” Cera told ComicBook.com about which ending he prefers. “Maybe he should have been alone. The women should have started a co-op together. And Scott’s just kind of there and they’re done with him. That would be good, too. Like, ‘Chill.'”
