10 Alternative Movie Endings Way Better Than What We Got
6. I Am Legend: Will Smith Is The Monster
Richard Matheson's influential horror novella I Am Legend has been adapted for cinema several times, and none of them have been true to the source material. This wouldn't have been the case with the Will Smith version to quite the same extent if they'd included its alternate ending as part of the theatrical version.
In the cinematic cut, Smith's Robert Neville suicide bombs a bunch of infected so Alice Braga's Anna Montez can flee with the cure he has developed. It's supposed to be a heroic sacrifice, but really it's just generic action movie stuff.
The alternate ending was far more thought provoking. After saving the life of one of the infected, Robert realises the creatures he has been slaying are sentient beings with as much right to life as him. In a shocking twist, he's the movie's only monster.
Not only is this conclusion more in keeping with the themes of the book, it also connects with a dangling plot thread earlier in the film. There's a scene where one of the infected Robert is studying reacts angrily when he takes its mate away, hinting at underlying humanity. This plot thread leads nowhere in the cinematic release.