11 Terrible Early Drafts That Almost Ruined Iconic Villains

2. Woody The Cowboy €“- Toy Story

Yep, you read that right: Woody is the villain of Toy Story. Yes Sid comes along and tries to kill the toys, but no matter how charming and cute the talking cowboy doll is, it is he who plans to get rid of Buzz out of jealousy, and who pushes him out of the window (intent is the key consideration there.)

Of course, Woody is also the hero, and the trajectory of the film is all about his epiphany that how he treats Buzz is villainous, and we love him all along the way, thanks to the way the character is framed.

But early versions of the character were a lot more douchey, to say the least, and it was hard to imagine anyone falling in love with the character as much as they subsequently did, even with his personal revelations and change for the better. Pixar were told to make the film edgier, and they rewrote Woody as an abused toy who passed on his abuse to the others (perhaps creating the initial blue print for Sid) and went round with a major chip on his shoulder.

That draft would have had Woody doing some things - like mistreating Slinky - that no amount of third-act moral shifts could atone for, and he would have become an irredeemable figure. Woody would have been ruined by being too much of a villain, as opposed to the traditional grey-area moral centre that Pixar always like to introduce.

And frankly, it's pretty difficult to imagine Tom Hanks playing such a flat out nasty character.