# Ridley Scott’s Sci-Fi Masterpiece ‘The Martian’ Had a Scene He “Had No Interest” in Reshooting (Exclusive)

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/ridley-scotts-sci-fi-masterpiece-the-martian-had-a-scene-he-had-no-interest-in-reshooting-exclusive/
- Published: 2026-07-24T19:30:15+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-24T20:13:14+00:00
- Original publisher: Collider
- Original article: https://collider.com/ridley-scott-the-martian-original-ending-reshoot/
- Topics: Art, Culture, Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- *The Martian* originally ended without Watney’s final speech.
- Test audiences wanted more emotional closure.
- Scott initially preferred the quieter original ending.

## Summary

Producer Simon Kinberg has revealed that Ridley Scott initially resisted reshooting the ending of *The Martian* to include Mark Watney’s speech to trainee astronauts. The added scene was prompted by test audiences, who wanted greater emotional closure and a clearer sense of the film’s wider message after Watney’s survival journey.

The original ending showed Watney noticing a leaf before going to teach, which Scott preferred for its quieter, more poetic quality. Kinberg said the reshoot illustrates that additional photography does not necessarily signal a troubled production; instead, it can improve a film when filmmakers have the time and resources to respond to audience feedback.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.