Out of every character in James Wong's Final Destination franchise, there's one theory in particular that proposes that Wendy Christensen (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) survived the events of Final Destination 3. After portraying the key psychic character, she was tasked with ensuring the surviving members of the Devil's Flight rollercoaster accident remained alive. While other installments in the movie franchise have explained how previous characters have died, there was no explanation for Wendy's, which led to the theory that she is still alive in the Final Destination universe. Here's why it is unlikely that she lived beyond the end of Final Destination 3.
Prior to becoming a feature-length movie, Final Destination was a spec script written by Jeffrey Reddick for the popular sci-fi television series, The X-Files. After he was approached by a colleague and informed of its potential, the script expanded with co-writers James Wong and Glen Morgan. The first movie in the franchise introduced the horror genre to the unique prospect that death has a predetermined design and, when it is disrupted, they must correct it to maintain the world's natural order. Final Destination's Alex Browning (Devon Sawa) kickstarted the movie's timeline after he had a premonition that Flight 180 would explode on take-off. Once he was proven correct, he and the six other survivors were entrenched in a game of cat and mouse against death. Several years following their specific storyline, Final Destination 2 carried the overarching plot over to an iconic car accident that has been noted as one of the greatest in horror history.
Once Final Destination 3 premiered, it was clear that it would make its mark as one of the greatest horror franchises to come out of 2000, which was a remarkable year for the genre in itself. As Wendy and her classmates enjoy a night at an amusement park, they board the Devil's Flight rollercoaster. Being apart of the yearbook committee, she takes photos of each of them which depict and foreshadow each character's death. With only Kevin (Ryan Merriman), her sister Julie (Amanda Crew), and herself as the sole survivors, they meet up in a New York subway entirely by chance. In the last remaining moments of Final Destination 3, Wendy has a premonition that it will derail and kill everyone on board. As she tries to get everyone to exit the train, the movie ends, leaving their fates unknown. Except, there are several alternate endings that may allow for an explanation as to whether or not she survived.
Final Destination 3's Theory Explained
The theory that she survived Final Destination 3 comes from the fact that Carter (Kerr Smith) and Alex's deaths were explained by Clear (Ali Larter) in Final Destination 2, but Wendy's was not explained in The Final Destination. This does not mean that she survived, but it is an interesting point. When the first and second movie in the franchise added a connected relationship with Clear, it provided them the opportunity to explain how Carter and Alex did not escape death. It adds extra depth to the franchise, as it proposes that no one can ever escape the inevitable, especially after Clear dies in Final Destination 2. There are two survivors at the end of the sequel; their deaths are detailed in Final Destination 3. Therefore, the franchise has a pattern of leaving characters alive or their fates ambiguous in order to detail them in a later installment. While Wendy's was not explained, it is likely due to an oversight or to avoid a repetitive motif. The theory was only proposed when online rumors spread that Mary Elizabeth Winstead could return to the franchise, but this has yet to happen.
What Could've Happened To Wendy
Before Black Mirror's choose your own adventure movie Bandersnatch, Final Destination 3 had its own take on it. The DVD featured an option to choose what happened to the characters which all seemed to end up with the same results, but different endings. There are two alternate endings for Final Destination 3. The first concludes the movie after the festival as Wendy abandons her camera and the three survivors walk off to safety. Her train premonition never happens in this alternate ending. The second one details the original ending, but with the added feature that, following Wendy's premonition, the accident takes place and they all die.
This means that it was always intended for Wendy to die. It may be debated that the final cut's ending intentionally left her fate ambiguous to allow for her to return, similar to Clear. But, there has never been a concrete statement made by Wong that Wendy could return and, even if she did, her storyline was the most disconnected from the others. In Final Destination 3, they did not build on death's rules or exceptions except for someone dying to take their place, which has been used since the first Final Destination. As such, Wendy could come back as fan service or to tie off any loose ends that were a result of the alternate endings and her ambiguous fate.
Why Wendy Didn't Survive The Train Accident
There is no way that Wendy could've survived the train accident in Final Destination 3. The director was sure of this, as the ending to the movie features so many specific references and Easter eggs to Final Destination and Final Destination 2 — they all came together to foreshadow her death. This isn't the first time this method has been used in the franchise, as Final Destination 5 included as many as they could in order to capture its prequel elements. It's common for these movies to feature specific songs and signs that foreshadow character deaths. For example, during the train incident, a man performs "Turn Around, Look At Me." This is the ultimate nod to the audience that Wendy, Kevin, and Julie will die.
When alternate endings are made, they are commonly a result of poor performances with test audiences. Traditionally, they are the final cut's true ending, but become an alternate as a result of audience feedback. While they do not have canonical significance, it must be noted that Wendy's death may have originally been in canon and taken out to appease the target audience. If this is the case, then the director's original vision for these characters will undoubtedly contribute to whether they will appear again or be mentioned in future installments. Wendy didn't survive the ending of Final Destination 3, as the alternate ending proposes. If she did survive, it is likely she would need to appear in Final Destination's upcoming sixth installment, but this is unlikely, as Final Destination 5 completed the original movie timeline.