10 Movies That Almost Had Much Better Endings

4. Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan

The Actual Ending

The second-ever Star Trek movie is the most iconic for damn good reason, namely that it ends with the tragic, sacrificial demise of Spock (Leonard Nimoy).

But to soften the blow for audiences, the film also provides a few closing hints that Spock isn't gone for good.

Moments before he expires, he performs a mind-meld on Bones (DeForest Kelley) - telling him, "Remember") - and the final shot of the movie lingers on Spock's casket resting on the Genesis planet, suggesting that maybe we'll see him again.

The One We Almost Got

The original cut of the film gave Spock a far more decisive demise, with the mind-meld and the shot of Spock's casket both absent, therefore suggesting that he was indeed perma-dead.

But typically, test audiences were fuming that Spock was worm food, and so producer and story writer Harve Bennett suggested these extra inserts to be shot before the film's theatrical release.

Why It Would've Been Better

As wonderful a character as Spock is, and as entertaining as some of his post-resurrection adventures were, his daft revival in The Search for Spock does rather undermine the emotional impact of his "death" in this film.

As tough as it is to argue that Spock should've stayed dead, it would've made The Wrath of Khan more dramatically watertight in retrospect, that's for sure.