Before Its Hopeful Finale, 'Edge of Tomorrow' Almost Ended in Total Tragedy

The ending of the sci-fi hit Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise, continues to spark controversy among viewers. Some felt that the heroic, happy ending was too simplistic for such a tense, clever story about time loops.

As it turns out, their intuition was correct. The creators had originally considered a much darker and more brutal ending that would have radically changed the movie's perception.

What Is 'Edge of Tomorrow' About?

The story centers on Major William Cage, a man with no combat experience who is sent to the front lines of a war against alien invaders called Mimics.

After dying on his first deployment, he gains the ability to restart the day at the moment of death by mixing his blood with that of one of the creatures.

Trapped in a time loop, Cage must relive the same day repeatedly, fighting and dying in order to learn how to win. He is aided by Rita Vrataski, a soldier nicknamed the Angel of Verdun.

What Happens in the 'Edge of Tomorrow' Finale?

In the final battle in Paris, Cage and Rita sacrifice their entire squad to reach Omega's lair. Rita is killed by an Alpha Mimic and Cage is mortally wounded.

Before he dies, however, he manages to detonate his grenade belt, destroying Omega. He dies, immersed in its blood. The next shot reveals, however, that Cage didn't die but instead woke up at the beginning of the movie, a few days before the invasion.

He finds himself in an alternate timeline where all the Mimics have been destroyed and his friends, including Rita, are alive. They don't remember him, but the world is saved.

What Would the More Tragic Ending Have Been?

Screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie outlined an alternative, rejected ending that was based on one of the universe's key rules: if you kill an Alpha Mimic, Omega resets the day immediately.

In this ending, a soldier from the squad, who is separated from the group, accidentally kills Alpha. The viewer then sees Omega activate the reset, and the scene shifts instantly to the plane flying to the landing zone.

This time, when Cage says that the aliens have a plan to kill them all, the plane is immediately hit by an alien, killing everyone.

This ending would have meant that the enemy's plan had succeeded and that all of the efforts and sacrifices were in vain. Omega had simply outmaneuvered humanity from the beginning because he had received information from the loop.

Why Did the Creators of 'Edge of Tomorrow' Decide to Stick with the More Positive Finale?

As McQuarrie explained, the main reason for abandoning the tragic ending was the emotional state of the audience. McQuarrie said:

“As the audience, you realize the enemy knows they're coming. The problem was you were so exhausted by the time you got to that point.”

Moreover, Tom Cruise believed the movie needed a glimmer of hope and lightness, and his opinion played a decisive role.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Edge of Tomorrow'?

• Edge of Tomorrow has 91% from critics and 90% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.9/10.

• On Letterboxd, Edge of Tomorrow scored 3.8/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Edge of Tomorrow'?

Edge of Tomorrow is available to stream on Paramount+ and Netflix.