20 Things You Didn't Know About Your Favourite Action Movies

17. Riggs Was Supposed To Die In Lethal Weapon 2

Believe it or not, the trajectory of the Lethal Weapon franchise was supposed to be very different if screenwriter Shane Black were to have his way, with Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) biting the bullet at the end of the second movie. Black, who penned the original Lethal Weapon and the sequel, originally wrote an ending that meant Riggs would die from his wounds in his partner Murtaugh€™s (Danny Glover) arms, having learned that life was indeed worth living. It would be sad, but it would also be realistic and gritty. It would also get cut out, because Warner Bros. had a franchise on their hands, and there was no way they were killing off a character that good for the sake of art. Black subsequently left the project and disassociated himself from all the movies and characters he created. This, of course, paved the way for two more €“ though less enthusiastically received €“ sequels. You do wonder, if Riggs had died in Lethal Weapon 2, whether an already-liked film would be talked about now in even more favorable terms.