One of the reasons that Watchmen took so long to get to the big screen is because the way that the graphic novel ends, and the events that lead up to this climax. The sub-plot surrounding the creation of the alien creature involves genetics, teleportation, artists, the brain of a deceased psychic and a mysterious island. In a film version it was never going to be possible to show all the details of this, meaning that the squid monster was never really going to fit. Recently, Terry Gilliam talked about how he would have ended the film. His plan was for Dr Manhattan to wind back time so that he was never created, and hence, the events of Watchmen never happened. As we all know, however, it was Zack Snyder who ended up directing the film, with the story ending with the revelation that Ozymandias has launched an attack on humanity via Dr Manhattan's technology, making it look as though Dr Manhattan himself was responsible for the attack. While this ending did spark controversy with some fans, it is fair to say that it at least followed the same theme as the graphic novel's ending (i.e. creating a common enemy to get mankind to unite), rather than throwing out one hell of a curve ball as Gilliam's ending would have. All the same, though, there is a small part of us that would have liked to have seen New York crushed under the bloody tentacles of a giant squid. Is the ending feasible? Outside of a Watchmen mini-series that had the time to delve into the creation of the monster , the answer is probably no. Would it still be cool to see, though? For us, the answer is a resounding yes. Like this article? Let us know in the comments below.
Matthew Chard is a writer who has lived and worked across Australia, USA, South Africa, UK, Cambodia and Tanzania. When not writing articles he can be found working on his next novel, traveling, in the surf, or listening to David Bowie while wearing red Spider-man underpants.
