25 Things You Didn’t Know About Se7en
19. An Alternate Ending Was Actually Storyboarded
However, to appease the naysaying executives, an alternative ending depicting Somerset killing Doe was actually storyboarded by Fincher and Walker, ostensibly to calm down the money men and keep the train on the tracks.
From all reports, Fincher had no intention of ever filming it - but the storyboarded alternate ending supposedly saw Somerset dramatically declaring that he ‘wanted out’ and shooting Doe in cold blood on the spot.
When Mills asked what he was doing, Somerset’s one-liner went, “I’m retiring.” Doe’s grand master plan ends up one sin short, Mills’ future is saved (albeit wifeless) and presumably Somerset squints, lights a cigar and stalks off into the middle distance alone, forever alone.
If you’re thinking that you can see a nineties Clint Eastwood playing that part, you’re godd*mn right you can. Fortunately, Pitt’s protestations paid off and this film didn’t end up being that film.