6 Game-Changing Original Plans You Didn't Know About The Warriors

Midway through the film we see The Warriors get separated at St and Broadway Station, with Fox and Mercy getting into an altercation with a police officer, ultimately ending in Fox’s death, while the rest of the group split into two - ensuing a chase by the Baseball Furies, and a near-death experience with the all-girl gang, The Lizzies.

It seems organic that Mercy and Swan were to become enthralled with each other, and this is exactly what Hill thought after seeing the on-screen chemistry between Debora Van Valkenburgh and Micheal Beck, opting to rewrite the script to pursue this dynamic.

Beck supported the change, saying it came about from “onscreen chemistry between Deborah and myself, that everybody, Walter, Barry Gordon, the editors, and whoever was watching that, just saw it happening [sic]. Hill’s assistant Neil Canton has said that “it became obvious the chemistry between Tom Waites and Deborah (...) was not happening, but the chemistry between her and Swan was happening”, adding there was some initial confusion as “it was scripted that way”. He explains that the solution was that “Fox is gonna get in a fight with the cops and he’s going to get thrown in front of the train”.

The decision to kill off Fox, was also brought about by the professional difficulties between Director Walter Hill and Thomas G. Waites (Fox). Hill has spoken rather introspectively on Waites removal, stating - “he and I weren’t [sic] communicating very well, I’ve always felt badly about it”. Supposedly Waites had asked for his credit to be removed and does therefore not feature on the end credits roll. The actual death scene was filmed with a stand in playing Fox.

It even seems many of the romantic moments which are shared between Swan and Mercy, were reappropriated, as in the original screenplay, it is Fox and Mercy who kiss in the subway tunnel - "The Fox: What do you want from me, huh? Suddenly she kisses him, kisses him harder... Pulls back".