12 Shocking Movie Deaths You Won't Believe Almost Happened

6. Riggs Is Gunned Down In The Climatic Firefight - Lethal Weapon 2

Before all of the domestic violence and antisemitism stuff, Mel Gibson was most famous for playing the volatile and reckless Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon series. Despite the character's tendency to rush head first into any situation and getting more injuries than Jackie Chan, Riggs is somehow still alive after four movies. But had Shane Black, the original screenwriter for the series, gotten his way, Riggs wouldn't have made it pass Lethal Weapon 2. In the initial scripted ending, Riggs gets shot in the back during the final climatic shoot out and he eventually dies in the Murtaugh's arms after one last deep and meaningful conversation with his partner. With Riggs being essentially a suicidal maniac constantly teetering on the brink, Black thought that killing Riggs would be a bittersweet yet fulfilling arc for the character. However, the producers thought that the cash cow still had more milk to give, so they overruled Black's decision and decided that Riggs would survive for as long as the franchise still made money. In the end, Riggs missed out on the heroic death he deserved (and wanted) whilst some poor supporting character was killed off in his place instead. Unhappy at how his script was tampered with, Black walked away from any future Lethal Weapon movies, which probably explains why Lethal Weapon 3 and 4 were average at best.