How a Deleted Biff Tannen Scene in Back to the Future Part II Explains a Major Mystery

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The Back to the Future series (now distributed by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment) leaves no doubt about several aspects: altering time carries great risk, a skateboard and determination can resolve more situations than one might initially think, and Biff Tannen (played by Tom Wilson) is a jerk in every era. Throughout the first movie, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) works tirelessly to prevent himself from being erased from history while confronting a younger Biff in 1955. In the end, Marty’s presence is preserved, and Biff gets his due – a manure-laden truck and a punch to the face.

In “Back to the Future Part II,” Tannen manipulates events, sending data from the future to the past and gaining immense power. Unfortunately for the original Biff, his attempt to alter the past inadvertently erased himself from the future. Although not included in the final cut, there was a scene where Biff experiences a horrific demise due to temporal issues.

In Back to the Future Part II, Biff Tannen’s fate is left unclear

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The sequel to “Back to the Future,” titled “Back to the Future Part II,” continues the story where the first movie ended. This time, Marty finds himself back in 1985, basking in the fruits of his time-travel escapades, when suddenly a DeLorean crashes through some trash cans and parks in the driveway. Stepping out from the iconic gullwing doors of the time machine, Doc delivers an urgent message: Marty’s future offspring are in danger, and only time travel can prevent their predicament.

Following their search through the garbage to fuel up Mr. Fusion and secure the necessary 1.21 gigawatts of energy, Doc, Marty, and Jennifer (Elisabeth Shue) reach the year 2015, a future characterized by flying cars, pre-made pizza in dehydrated form, and automated canine walkers.

For More on Back to the Future

1 Question: Where was the Back to the Future movie trilogy shot?

Answer: The Back to the DeLorean Time-Travel Trilogy was filmed primarily in California.

2 Explanation: Why did Michael J. Fox replace Eric Stoltz as Marty McFly in Back to the Future?

Answer: Michael J. Fox took over the role of Marty McFly from Eric Stoltz because the producers believed that Fox brought more energy and comedic timing to the character.

3 Trivia: Who was almost cast as Dr. Emmett Brown (Doc Brown) in Back to the Future?

Answer: A very different type of star, Christopher Lloyd, ended up playing Doc Brown in the Back to the Future trilogy; the role was initially intended for another actor.

As Marty strolls through town, he’s surrounded by automated auto repair shops and 3D adverts for movies, when he comes across a Sports Almanac predicting the results of every game, match, and race from 1950 to 2000. Later on, at the retro Cafe ’80s, Marty bumps into an elderly man named Biff who’s bent over, his hair sparse, white, and wispy, and he’s as nasty as ever. However, nothing prepares him for the nastiness of Biff’s grandson, Griff.

Following a brief skirmish, Marty rashly and ungracefully flees on a hoverboard towards the almanac. The data within this tome carries an enormous value if you possess both a time machine and a questionable sense of ethics. Upon discovering Marty’s intentions, Doc compels him to abandon the almanac, warning him about the perils of tampering with time. Unbeknownst to them, Biff is eavesdropping from the sidelines the entire time.

In the meantime, Doc and Marty are saving Jennifer from the suburbs (she was dropped there by the time-traveling cops), Biff manages to sneak into the DeLorean without being noticed, parks it in a dumpster, and then travels back in time with the almanac. Everything seems fine for Biff until he returns to the future and exits the DeLorean. By the end of the scene, we see him moaning, clutching at his surroundings, and stumbling off-screen. The outcome of Biff is unclear, akin to Schrödinger’s cat, but an unused scene reveals that he meets a grim end.

Deleted scene shows Biff Tannen deleted himself from existence in Back to the Future Part II

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Upon their return to 1985, it appears they’ve preserved the future; however, things have taken a disastrous turn. Hill Valley has plunged into turmoil, becoming a place where residents secure their homes with gates and bars on windows. The local high school has been destroyed for years, and another family resides in Marty’s house. What stands out most is the colossal skyscraper named Biff Tannen’s Entertainment Complex, or Biff Tannen’s Pleasure Paradise.

On his 21st birthday in 1958, Biff suddenly found himself a millionaire after a successful bet at the race track. Over the years, he’s been known as the luckiest person worldwide, transforming his fortunate streak into an immense and dreadful business empire.

In a different timeline, 1985 could have been a utopia for Biff, yet it came with a steep price tag. According to Doc Brown, altering the past creates ripples that affect the future, shaping the new world around time travelers. This is why Jennifer is secure in the future while Doc and Marty are dealing with an apocalyptic present. As soon as the original Biff got back to his own future, the repercussions of his time manipulations caught up with him.

In a scene not included in the original film, we find Biff hiding behind a car in 2015, gasping for breath as if he were a cat searching for a secluded spot to die. The DeLorean ascends into the sky just as it leaps through time, and Biff lets out a final, anguished groan before vanishing forever. It seems that Biff’s reckless lifestyle in the dystopian future didn’t extend his lifespan, and he did not make it to 2015. However, once Doc and Marty rectified the timeline, even future Biff was given another opportunity to continue being a nuisance.

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2025-02-21 19:31