10 Movie Deaths Only Explained Outside Of The Films

5. Captain Steven Hiller - Independence Day: Resurgence

Independence Day: Resurgence was a sequel no one really asked for, with the first film having developed a reputation as one of the nineties' most fondly remembered - and enjoyable - blockbuster movies.

The only appeal in a potential sequel was always going to revolve around the chance to see Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith link up again. When it became apparent that Smith wasn't interested in reprising the role of Steven Hiller however, filmmaker Roland Emmerich had to come up with a reason why his character wasn't active anymore.

The explanation was - much like the film - pretty anticlimactic. Hiller is said to have died testing the first line of Alien-inspired fighter-craft in 2007, but the details of that crash were only divulged in the film's tie-in novel, Independence Day: Crucible. Written by Greg Keyes, the novel details the build up to the events of Resurgence and follows a number of characters from the original film, including Smith's Hiller.

The book actually implies that Goldblum's David was partially responsible for Hiller's demise, with the engineer unable to make the vehicle safe due to being rushed along by the military.