Back To The Future could have looked very different indeed, had the original choice for Marty McFly actor Eric Stoltz been used instead. The young star was to play the lead over original choice Michael J. Fox who was busy on a sitcom at the time and shot about five weeks worth of footage for it. He must have felt secure, as filming had been going on so long the crew had already been talking to each other about what theyd be doing next. Why He Was Fired: Director Robert Zemeckis felt the movie wasnt working the way hed hoped, so he cut together all the footage he had and showed it to Steven Spielberg for advice. Spielberg confirmed his fears; Stoltz had been miscast. He was too serious and dark, which killed the humour of the movie. Stoltz was fired and replaced by the now available Fox, with most of the movie being reshot at great expense. The effort was clearly worth it, as Back To The Future is considered a true classic. Stoltz footage as Marty has never been released, and probably never will be while the actor has any say in it.
