‘Return of the Jedi’: Deleted scenes in cinema history we wish were in the movies

Marvel’s Black Panther was undoubtedly one of the biggest smash hits of 2018, opening with a $200 million domestic weekend and becoming only the second Marvel film to notch an A+ at Cinemascore.

If you haven’t already, you should definitely experience the world of Wakanda. We believe it’s a rite of passage before you go see Avengers: End Game this weekend. The only bittersweet part is you won’t get to see the four-hour-long cut director Ryan Coogler initially submitted to Marvel.

During an interview with Empire, Coogler and executive producer Nate Moore opened up about one scene in particular they fought hard to keep before eventually letting it go. While you might be disappointed the scene was axed, don’t fret – it was added to Black Panther’s DVD release extras.

Until then, let’s take a look at some of the most outrageous deleted scenes in movie history – some good, some bad, some that would’ve completely changed the tone of the film. Warning! Spoilers ahead!

Return of the Jedi (1983)

Has the fact Obi Wan never just straight up told Luke that Darth Vader was his father always bothered you? Well according to this deleted scene, the reason is because Yoda forbade him to do so. On his deathbed, the Jedi Master declares, “Obi Wan would’ve told you long ago had I let him.” So that’s why!

Aliens (1986)

A deleted scene from James Cameron’s infamous thriller takes a deeper look into Ellen Ripley’s (Sigourney Weaver) grief at the death of her daughter. After waking up from nearly six decades of hypersleep, it kinda seemed like Ellen shrugged off the loss. However, the scene shows just how deeply affected her character was by the news (so she’s not a cold b**ch after all!)

Blade Runner (1982)

For many years, fans of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner speculated whether Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a human or a replicant. However, many think the below deleted scene – in which the character daydreams about a unicorn – offers the answer.

As EW pointed out, “In the original cut, Deckard finds an origami unicorn left by Gaff (Edward James Olmos) during his escape with Rachael (Sean Young) — the deleted scene seems to provide the missing link to that scene, suggesting Deckard’s a replicant and Gaff knows.”

The Fly (1986)

David Cronenberg (Crash) goes full B-movie in this deleted scene from horror classic The Fly, showing Jeff Goldblum‘s Seth Brundle experimenting with the genetic-combination properties of his matter transporter. Let’s just say that a cat / baboon splice is a far from desirable combo.

Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

We were all too busy enjoying Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting) and his LOL antics to take notice of the toxic broken home that the poor Hillard kids had to endure. If the below deleted scenes are anything to go by, the consistent arguing between Sally & Dan is enough to leave their kids in therapy for the rest of their anxiety-riddled lives.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Michel Gondry’s acclaimed sci-fi romance would’ve looked a lot different had the deleted scenes made it into the final cut. In the video below, Film Radar shows how the scenes featuring Joel’s (Jim Carrey) ex Naomi offer a completely different perception of Joel as a character, and thus offering a completely different perception of his and Clementine’s relationship too.

It (2017)

The It crew created an alternate opening for the Blu-ray release of the Stephen King remake, putting an unexpectedly hilarious spin on one of the film’s most terrifying scenes. Although it’s pretty funny (“Oh shit!”), we’re glad they didn’t leave it in because it would’ve effectively ended the movie after just five minutes in.

Mean Girls (2004)

We’re really glad this scene from Mean Girls showing Cady (Lindsay Lohan) apologizing to Regina (Rachel McAdams) in the bathroom at the Spring Fling was cut. Not only is it not important to the storyline, but it’s full of obvious, on-the-nose scriptwriting. “You know Aaron does really like you . . . he really pissed me off.” Yawn!