Given that there are a number of confusing movies out here, it is quite confusing that some directors choose to delete scenes that could easily fix them. Sometimes, the removal of these scenes actually make the movie or franchise better, particularly in cases where confusing the audience or keeping them guessing is part of the point. On the other hand, plenty of scenes that didn’t make the final cut have resulted in plot holes that leave the viewer befuddled for the wrong reasons. As a highly commercial and collaborative art form, these challenges are inherent to filmmaking.
Indeed, deleted scenes that change the whole movie can be found throughout modern film history. In many cases, these are results of the original movie getting cut by the studio for the theatrical release, which can involve significantly shortening the director’s initial vision. While studios dissect theatrical cuts with the majority of viewers in mind – which can sometimes improve a movie – this process has also notoriously led to audiences seeing essentially incomplete films. Filmmakers are guilty of cutting scenes and confusing audiences as well, though this occurs more because of creative decisions. Whether that pays off though is something that is still up for debate.
Related: 10 Deleted Scenes We’re Glad Were Cut From The Movie
12 Zeus’ Comedic Quips In Thor: Love And Thunder
These deleted scenes feature Zeus clumsily spying on Thor and Jane’s private conversation. After Thor discovers Zeus hiding behind a curtain while eating an ice cream cone, Zeus teaches Thor how to use and even manifest Zeus’ Lightning Bolt himself. However, this was likely deleted in favor of setting up the very last scenes in Thor: Love and Thunder, where Zeus spitefully tells Hercules to kill Thor. This could mean that Zeus and Hercules were falsely teased as the next MCU villains (which make sense since both Gods have much more complex relationships with Thor in the comics, which the MCU is bound to honor in Thor 5 story).
11 Phil’s Curse In Groundhog Day
Though this deleted scene would have easily solved some questions, removing Phil’s curse from Groundhog Day ultimately makes for a better viewing experience. Initially, changes from the studio actually improved Danny Rubin’s screenplay, but Rubin and producer Trevor Albert drew the line when an unnamed Columbia exec wanted an explanation for why Phil’s day kept repeating. “They wanted some tangible event to occur in the first act that shows someone has put a spell on him. And that was like, ‘F— no,” said Albert (via The Wrap) “That really is pandering to the audience.” Thankfully, Rubin and Albert preserved their vision for Groundhog Day’s final cut.
Related: Groundhog Day’s Best Theory Makes The Happy Ending A Curse
10 Billy Remarrying In Moneyball
Nominated for 6 of the most coveted Academy Awards, Moneyball famously has one glaring plot hole: Billy still wearing his wedding ring despite having already divorced Sharon. This is explained by a deleted scene featuring Billy and his second wife, which was cut from the movie for undisclosed reasons. It’s a small detail, but it would’ve prevented any confusion about what the ring symbolized, especially since Billy was clearly no longer attached to his ex-wife. Out of the many deleted scenes that could fix a confusing movie, however, this is pretty minor. In the end, it didn’t hurt the plot, nor the movie’s overall faithfulness to Moneyball’s true story.
9 T-1000 Malfunctioning In Terminator 2
When the T-1000 pursues the T-800, Sarah, and John Connor at the steel mill, the liquid metal surface of the T-1000 ripples inexplicably. What the theatrical cut didn’t show is that this is part of a series of scenes showing the T-1000 malfunctioning. After taking damage throughout the movie, the T-1000’s legs inadvertently copy the steel floor with each step, and its hand even mimics the black and yellow paint of a nearby safety railing. This deleted scene would have made Terminator 2 more iconic as the cut robbed theater viewers of an awesome glimpse into the T-1000’s inner workings.
Related: 10 Things That Still Hold Up Today About Terminator 2
8 Scotty’s Nephew In Star Trek 2: The Wrath Of Khan
In this 1982 classic, Enterprise chief engineer Montgomery Scott dramatically but confusingly carries the charred body of a cadet. The theatrical cut provided no explanations why Scott was so grief-stricken by the unnamed character’s death. However, scenes that were deleted from Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan reveal that this cadet is actually Scott’s nephew. Thankfully, these deleted scenes were later reintroduced in the director’s cut, as well as the version of the movie that aired on American television screens. Though it doesn’t always happen, the reintroduction of deleted scenes does occur for some lucky features and save some films from being deemed too confusing.
7 Voldemort’s Curse In Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows
This deleted scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 would’ve explained why he-who-must-not-be-named always knows where Harry is located. While Harry and Hermione deduce ways to find Voldemort’s horcruxes, Hermione almost says the name, but Ron interrupts. Ron tells them that saying Voldemort’s name is taboo because it’s a way of tracking people, which Ron learned from someone at the Ministry of Magic. When it comes to deleted scenes that fix confusing movies, the Harry Potter series has more than a few. However, this is the only one that calls out Harry’s stubborn refusal to submit to a superstition that even the most powerful wizards adhere to.
Related: 10 Best Deleted Scenes From The Harry Potter Movies According To Reddit
6 Nero’s Klingon Prison Time In Star Trek
The Romulan Captain Nero served as a suitable villain for J.J. Abram’s 2009 Star Trek reboot. However, something was missing from Nero, whose backstory was mostly a mystery. In one of the best deleted scenes, Nero is trapped in a Klingon prison, getting tortured for information about time travel calculations found inside his ship. Nero’s captor even mentions that Nero has been there for 20 years, before the villain makes a daring escape. It’s a pity these scenes didn’t make the final cut, as they would’ve given both Nero – and the Klingons – so much more depth and answered any confusing questions the viewers may have had.
5 Yoda’s Last Words In Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi
Jedi Master Yoda shares some wise words to Luke Skywalker before he finally dies in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, as the two discuss Luke’s past as well as his future as a Jedi. Notably, this actually includes Luke asking Yoda whether Darth Vader is his father or not. A popular example of a deleted scene that would have answered any confusing questions, the theatrical cut famously omitted Yoda telling Luke that “Obi-Wan would’ve told you long ago, had I let him,” which explains why Obi-Wan Kenobi kept this information from Luke. While this would’ve clarified Obi-Wan’s actions, including this in the final cut may have also hurt Obi-Wan’s overall character arc.
4 David’s Alien Computer Hack In Independence Day
The original 1996 sci-fi action romp Independence Day seemingly took the easy route by throwing a computer virus at the aliens. Yet, there’s more to this alien hack than movie magic. In one of the best deleted scenes, engineer David Levinson reveals how he made the virus. Calling back to how David decoded patterns from intercepted alien messages (which made the final cut), David uses the same frequencies in the deleted scene to hack the computer in the alien ship at Roswell. The science may be questionable, but it still could’ve provided an explanation for how David pulled off the impossible.
3 Mia’s Home Video In Pulp Fiction
Before Mia Wallace and Vincent Vega dance at the ’50s-themed diner, Mia introduces Vincent by saying his name in a comically low voice on the mic. Although this deleted scene is pretty minor, it would have explained specifically why Mia says “Vincent Vega” in a weird voice. While being filmed and interviewed by Mia at home, Mia asks Vincent’s name, and he replies in a low, depressed tone that Mia mocks in the diner scene. Tarantino cut this to avoid the then-trendy cliché of quirky characters making home videos, but it’s in the original 3-hour cut of Pulp Fiction.
2 Fort Sedgwick’s Backstory In Dances With Wolves
Lieutenant John J. Dunbar taking up the nigh impossible task of restoring, restocking, and protecting Fort Sedgwick alone is what puts him on his journey of transformation. However, viewers who only saw the theatrical version may be confused about how the fort ended up deserted in the first place. This is explained in a Dances With Wolves deleted scene, where the men formerly stationed at Fort Sedgwick abandon the place after getting hammered by consistent attacks from the neighboring Indigenous tribes. As with many deleted scenes, this scene was cut to maintain an ideal running time – Dances With Wolves is notably 3 hours long.
1 Alex’s Human Hand In RoboCop
The 2014 version of the titular cyborg in RoboCop has a key difference from the original: his right hand wasn’t replaced with cybernetics, and remains flesh and bone. No explanation is given for this throughout the film, but a deleted scene reveals that OmniCorp CEO Raymond Sellars is the one who decided to keep Alex’s right-hand human. As Sellars explains, his father taught him that a handshake can reveal a lot about a man, so he sought to help preserve Alex’s humanity by keeping his handshake real. It’s unfortunate that this was cut, as it might’ve slightly improved the RoboCop reboot’s lukewarm reception.
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