By now, most Back to the Future fans know the movie almost looked very different. Before Michael J. Fox became the hoverboard-riding, guitar-shredding, time-jumping face of the franchise, the role of Marty McFly was played by Eric Stoltz — and not just for a day or two. Stoltz shot six weeks of footage before being replaced, a move so rare and risky it became the stuff of Hollywood legend. Now, four decades later, we finally have a clear look at what the other actor could have looked like in the role.
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly tied to the film’s 40th anniversary (and the release of Fox’s memoir Future Boy), Fox and his co-author Nelle Fortenberry opened up about the anxious, fast-paced handoff that nearly derailed the movie. And why did the recast happen in the first place? The Family Ties actor offered a gracious but honest take:
