Alien Vs Predator let down fans of both franchises, but the movie’s original ending could have partly redeemed the crossover by giving the Predator a heroic moment. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, Alien Vs Predator seemed set for success when it arrived in theatres in 2004. The long-awaited face-off between two titans of sci-fi horror, this creature feature mashup was the science fiction equivalent of the previous year's slasher hit Freddy Vs Jason.
However, Alien Vs Predator was missing one vital ingredient that Freddy Vs Jason boasted - an R-rating. The crossover viewers saw in cinemas was surprisingly bloodless despite the reputation of both series, and the lack of gore and scares resulted in a battle that many longtime viewers felt was a betrayal of both creatures.
However, while the 2007 sequel Requiem proved gore alone could not make for a better Alien Vs Predator, the original ending of Alien Vs Predator would have gone some ways to redeeming the flawed film. Originally, the end of the film featured Scar - the vaguely sympathetic Predator with a Predalien hybrid incubating in his chest - being assisted by heroine Lex in driving his own dagger into his chest to kill the monster. The scene was likely cut to set up the sequel where the Predalien became a major new threat.
With the gorier, darker Requiem also being a disappointment when it arrived in cinemas three years later, it’s all the more unfortunate this effective ending was snipped. Anderson’s film, like Alien Vs Predator: Requiem, does see a human character briefly join forces with a Predator who is given some characterization (which is more than the uncaring hunters were depicted in past entries). However, after their short-lived collaboration, the twist ending of AvP leaves the action feeling pointless since Scar dies via chest-burster soon after boarding his ship home while poor Lex is left stranded in Antarctica. The potential of humans teaming up with these hunters to fight a common foe is not one truly explored by either movie, with Requiem instead just killing most of its cast before they can work together with anyone.
While some elements of Alien Vs Predator, such as its atmospheric setting and expanded franchise lore, may arguably be underrated by fans of both franchises, it's hard to deny the movie never makes use of human-Predator collaboration and could have salvaged a lot of wasted potential by keeping in this planned scene. With Scar repeating the mantra, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" as he self-terminates in the original script, there would have been a poignant moment of connection between Lex and the Predator as their common foe provided a rare connection between them. Unfortunately, Alien Vs Predator was more interested in setting up its equally flawed sequel, resulting in the bleak, but still somehow sanitized, ending viewers received in cinemas.