Deleted scenes can be a fun extra feature which offers a look at the larger vision for a movie, but some scenes are removed despite creating significant confusion with lingering subplots and unresolved mysteries. Making a movie is a monumental effort, which requires plenty of time and energy from a huge number of contributors. However, after all of the filming is done, the movie is only about halfway complete. To get to the final product, the film needs to be edited, often ruthlessly, cutting scenes that may push the runtime or slow down the pace.
However, occasionally, these edits may save valuable time, but impact and change other scenes in the movie. When this happens, a scene that previously had context may appear out of place, or nonsensical. Most of the time, the impact is minimal, and it could go over viewers’ heads, but, there are a few that end up creating weird moments in movies that deserve to be explained. Thankfully, some of these mysteries can be cleared up when the deleted scenes are released, and it makes more sense of the entire film.
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10 “The Octopus Was Scary”
The Goonies
The Goonies is a beloved family adventure movie from 1985. A group of kids embark on an epic adventure when they discover an ancient map. Their journey takes them to the most unusual and unlikely of places, as they all grow closer together while trying to find a way to save their homes from being demolished. However, when the kids have returned from their adventure at the end of the movie, the press interview them asking what had happened, and one throwaway line raises serious questions.
Despite not being in the official theatrical version, the octopus also appeared in marketing materials for the movie.
Data, played by a young Ke Huy Quan, notes that the “octopus was scary.” The only problem is, in the theatrical release of the movie, they never met an octopus. But, in one deleted scene that was shared after the film’s release, this line is validated as the kids fight a giant octopus and distract him with a portable music player. Without this scene, Data’s line feels like a goof, but the deleted scene validates the characters’ claims.
The Goonies 
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PG
Director Richard Donner Release Date June 7, 1985 Cast Josh Brolin , Jeff Cohen , Corey Feldman , Ke Huy Quan , Sean Astin Runtime 114 minutes
9 He Who Must Not Be Named
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows
The Harry Potter films teased the presence of an evil magical overlord for several films before he was seen in the flesh. While the mysterious Voldemort was seen in brief moments in earlier movies, those in the magical world were very careful about uttering his name. Instead of calling the Dark Lord by name, he was commonly referred to as “you know who,” and “he who must not be named.” However, one deleted scene in the final entry gives a clear reason for why this practice was in place.
While Hermione and Harry discuss the challenging circumstances as they hunt down the horcruxes and slowly weaken Voldemort, Hermione almost utters his name. Suddenly, Ron wakes up and tells her not to say it. He then tells Harry and Hermione that Voldemort and his followers placed a special taboo curse on his name so that they can track anyone who says it aloud. While this appears to have been a recent curse in the movie, it suggests that this could have been done when Voldemort initially rose to power, which caused people to fear speaking his name.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 3.5 2
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PG-13
Director David Yates Release Date October 17, 2010 Writers Steve Kloves , J.K. Rowling Cast Bill Nighy , Emma Watson , Richard Griffiths , Harry Melling , Daniel Radcliffe , Julie Walters Runtime 2h 26m
Related Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2: Ending Explained
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8 Nero Disappears For 20 Years
Star Trek (2009)
The rebooted Star Trek film was a huge hit when it came out in 2009, which launched another series of movies for the popular franchise. The action, the cast, and the modern setting all helped to create something that fit perfectly within the universe, but appealed to a modern audience. However, there was one significant gripe about the time-travelling villain, Nero, and his intermittent approach to attacking Starfleet.
A valuable tidbit that would have helped make sense of the villains’ absence.
Nero, played by Eric Bana, was an impressive villain with a grudge. He found a way to travel back in time and enact his will, which is how he managed to attack and kill George Kirk, the father of James Tiberius Kirk. However, after killing Kirk Sr., Nero disappears for the next 22 years. Why he doesn’t persist in his attacks, or why he waits decades to continue is left unexplained. But a deleted scene reveals that Nero was captured and imprisoned for that time. A valuable tidbit that would have helped make sense of the villains’ absence.
Star Trek (2009) 4.0 3
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Director J.J. Abrams Release Date May 8, 2009 Cast Chris Pine , Zoe Saldana , Zachary Quinto , Simon Pegg , Karl Urban , Anton Yelchin , John Cho , Leonard Nimoy , Eric Bana , Bruce Greenwood , Winona Ryder , Tyler Perry Runtime 127 Minutes
7 How Did Aragorn Get A Fleet Of Black Ships
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
The final entry in the original LOTR trilogy was spectacular for a number of reasons. The film concluded the arc of the fellowship, which saw Aragorn step up as a King, and the fall of Sauron. However, despite the films lengthy runtime, some aspects of the story were not entirely clear until the ultimate edition added back a scene that filled in a significant plot hole. However, the ultimate edition also comes in at a whopping 4 hours and 10 minutes.
In the theatrical version, Aragorn and the crew appear to magically arrive at Minas Tirith with a fleet of ships. However, from the moment that Gandalf tells them to “follow the Black Ships,” to this one, nothing happens to confirm how they managed it. This deleted scene pulls back the curtain, and provides an awesome early look at the dead army charging in to battle.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 5.0 3
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Director Peter Jackson Release Date December 17, 2003 Cast Elijah Wood , Ian McKellen , Liv Tyler , Viggo Mortensen , Sean Astin , Cate Blanchett , John Rhys-Davies , Bernard Hill , Billy Boyd , Dominic Monaghan , Orlando Bloom , Hugo Weaving , Miranda Otto , David Wenham , Karl Urban , John Noble , Andy Serkis , Ian Holm , Sean Bean Runtime 201 Minutes Expand
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6 The Mystery Waitress
The Avengers
When The Avengers came out in 2012, it was one of the most ambitious crossover movies of all time, bringing together an ensemble cast of superheros who had already starred in solo projects. Since then, the MCU has become even more ambitious and created massive multiversal projects, but in 2012, it was a daring new endeavor. However, despite the packed storyline and giving every character enough screentime, there is an odd amount of screentime that hovers over a mystery girl in the crowd of civilians.
The deleted scenes actually reveal who this mystery girl is, and why she appears so prominently despite being essentially an extra. The woman actually had a dedicated subplot where a romance between her and Steve Rogers is developed. It would never equal what Steve had with Peggy, but it does explain why the young woman is given so much attention in other scenes.
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PG-13
Director Joss Whedon Release Date May 4, 2012 Cast Chris Hemsworth , Mark Ruffalo , Robert Downey Jr. , Scarlett Johansson , Samuel L. Jackson , Stellan Skarsgård , Clark Gregg , Paul Bettany , Cobie Smulders , Tom Hiddleston , Jeremy Renner , Gwyneth Paltrow , Chris Evans Runtime 143 Minutes Expand
5 T-1000 Pulsing In The Steelworks
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is one of the most beloved action sci-fi films of all time. With the introduction of the incredible T-1000 and groundbreaking visual effects to bring him to life, the film deserved to be praised and inducted into the hall of fame. However, there is one moment towards the end of the film that appears to be slightly confusing. In the final confrontation at the steelworks, the T-1000 has a pulse that runs through his body which appears out of place.
It appears that due to the rapid changes in temperature.
In a special extended version of that steelworks clip, the moments after the T-1000 is rapidly frozen, and then equally rapidly thawed are shown. As he reforms and pursues his targets, the T-1000 can be seen to malfunction in several ways. Unwittingly, the robot begins adapting to his environment, and becoming stuck to surfaces. It appears that due to the rapid changes in temperature, and his body being thoroughly damaged and restored, the robot suffered more permanent damage, which is made much clearer thanks to this scene.
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R
Director James Cameron Release Date July 3, 1991 Writers James Cameron , William Wisher Cast Arnold Schwarzenegger , Linda Hamilton , Robert Patrick , Edward Furlong
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4 Luke’s New Green Lightsaber
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi
The original Star Wars trilogy is lauded as being one of the best trilogies in all of sci-fi. However, it isn’t without its flaws. While it may appear minor, hardcore fans of these films are meticulous and methodical in their approach to the movies, picking apart even the smallest details. One of these details that has been debated in the past, but which has a definitive answer thanks to deleted scenes, is when and how Luke got his green lightsaber.
After his fateful encounter with his father, Darth Vader, at the end of The Empire Strikes Back, Luke loses more than just his hand. He loses his lightsaber, which ironically belonged to his father before him. In the next film, Luke can be seen wielding a green lightsaber, but in a time when these are extremely rare and most of the Jedi are extinct, it begs the question, where did Luke get his new weapon. In a brief deleted scene, the question is answered as it shows Luke constructing his own saber, just like the Jedi of old.
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi 4.5 6
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Director Richard Marquand Release Date May 25, 1983 Cast Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher , Harrison Ford , James Earl Jones , Billy Dee Williams , Ian McDiarmid , Peter Mayhew , Anthony Daniels , Kenny Baker , David Prowse , Frank Oz , Sebastian Shaw , Alec Guinness Runtime 131 Minutes
3 Lex’s Nonsensical Ramblings
Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice
Lex Luthor is one of the most terrifying villains in superhero stories in general. However, in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the character appears to be considerably less intimidating than in the source material. Throughout the movie, Lex is seen to stumble, and appear weak, but this is perhaps the most apparent in the final scenes, when Lex is shorn, tossed in a jail cell, and begins to ramble about what appears to be nonsensically to himself.
Yet, a deleted scene provides this moment with greater context, and validates Lex as more than a broken man who has lost his mind. In fact, the final scene was meant to represent a hint at the future Justice League film, as a result of Lex having been shown a vision of Steppenwolf. Not only does this highlight that Lex has not become so damaged that he begins rambling to himself, but it reveals how important he is to the franchise.
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PG-13
Director Zack Snyder Release Date March 24, 2016 Cast Ben Affleck , Henry Cavill , Amy Adams , Jesse Eisenberg , Diane Lane , Laurence Fishburne , Jeremy Irons , Holly Hunter , Gal Gadot Runtime 152 minutes
Related Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice Cast – Where Are They Now?
It has been eight years since the DCEU’s Batman v Superman brought together a thrilling ensemble cast for the then-burgeoning superhero franchise.
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2 Pokémon Tears Bringing Ash Back To Life
Pokémon: The First Movie
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Pokémon: The First Movie was a defining moment for the franchise as it evolved past the video games and TV series to receive a fully fledged movie on the big screen in 1999. And while it may have been directed at younger viewers, that doesn’t mean the film can simply avoid making sense of the story beats.
Despite this, a pivotal moment in the movie, when Ash is restored to life by the magical tears of Pokémon, it does just that.
The movie doesn’t make any other reference to magic, or healing tears, except for an additional 10-minute featurette that was played as a part of the feature film when it was released in Japan. The clip, titled, “The Uncut Story of Mewtwo’s Origin,” was a vital part of the story which leads into the story of the movie. However, when the movie was brought stateside, this 10-minute clip was entirely removed. It still remains difficult to find, as it is not available in English on any official platform, despite having had an English dub for it to feature on the DVD extras.
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G Director Michael Haigney , Kunihiko Yuyama Release Date July 18, 1998 Cast Veronica Taylor , Philip Bartlett , Rachael Lillis , Eric Stuart , Madeleine Blaustein , Ikue Ootani Runtime 75 minutes
1 Thor’s Bizarre Bath Quest
Avengers: Age Of Ultron
Finally, returning to the MCU, the follow-up film to The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron also followed in the former’s footsteps by providing side quests and subplots for the heroes to embark on. This time, it was Thor who went off on what seems to be a wild goose chase in the movie when he desperately searches to find a mystical bath. The theatrical version leaves it at that, making it appear extremely odd and counter-productive.
However, in a deleted scene, it’s shown that Thor was in search of a magical creature known as a Norn who could provide invaluable information. However, this information was primarily a set-up for later movies as it discussed the Infinity Stones. As a result, the tone of the magical bath and the discussion about the Infinity Stones was cut for time, making it appear as though Thor was away for largely pointless reasons.
Avengers: Age of Ultron 3.5 12
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PG-13
Director Joss Whedon Release Date May 1, 2015 Cast Chris Hemsworth , Clark Gregg , Robert Downey Jr. , Cobie Smulders , Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Jeremy Renner , Thomas Kretschmann , Chris Evans , Don Cheadle , Mark Ruffalo , Elizabeth Olsen , Scarlett Johansson , Paul Bettany , Samuel L. Jackson , James Spader Runtime 141 minutes Expand