10 Controversial Changes Movies Made To The Comic Book Source (That Actually Improved It)

5. A Happier Ending - Road To Perdition

The Road To Perdition comics feature a gangster going on the run with his son after being betrayed by his boss. He seeks revenge by robbing banks and killing any assassins that come his way, whilst trying to keep his son safe.

The Sam Mendes adaptation featured Tom Hanks in the lead, and toned down the gunfights and violence to focus on a more thoughtful story. A big theme of the movie is that the father doesn’t want his son to follow in his footsteps, and become a killer like him. This is in contrast to the comic, where young Michael kills a few people along the journey, showing the son has inherited the sins of the father.

The movie instead has Michael contemplating killing a couple of times, but ultimately he doesn’t have it in him. This more hopeful ending upset a few purists, but dramatically it was the right way to go.