Soul is Pixar's latest offering, which was released on Christmas Day via Disney+, and it has been heavily praised for its thought-provoking storyline and emotional outlook on life, and how truly precious that it is. As with all Pixar movies, there is a lot of creativity thrown at this movie, from an animation and a story perspective, and that goes all the way to the ending as well.
Pixar is known for having great ideas, but not everything that gets thought about or discussed makes it to the final cut, and that was the case with Pixar. Pete Docter and Kemp Powers revealing there were several alternative endings to the movie that didn't get used. Instead (spoiler alert), they stuck with 22 starting life on Earth, while Joe got the chance to return to his body as well, but were the alternate endings just as good?
Ending Was Perfect: Joe Can Enhance His Life
During the time when Joe Gardner was on Earth originally, it is pretty clear he's quite fed up with his life and going through the same routine. However, after everything that he goes through, Joe is ready to live a totally new life, with closer relationships and more enjoyment.
22 teaches him clear lessons, from being able to enjoy the smaller things in life to his new relationships with people such as his mother. Audiences want him to enjoy his life, and that can only happen by returning to Earth.
Ending Was Perfect: It's What The Journey Promised
In the end when Joe sacrifices his own life so 22 can have one of her own, it seems like he may not return to Earth. However, he ends up getting to go to Earth anyway as a reward, which is something that he deserves, and ultimately, it's what the entire movie is about.
The whole journey that the movie goes through is Joe trying to fight to survive and get back to his life as normal, and after all of that, seeing him get that wraps things up perfectly. The movie provides the emotional punch of the sacrifice, which is a heartfelt moment that sums up Joe's character, but putting him back to Earth is the right call to end the story.
Alternate Ending: Going To The Great Beyond
The Great Beyond is something that Joe Gardner was fighting against throughout the entire movie, being desperate not to die and keep his life going. However, it was revealed to ET that one ending would have seen him actually go there at the end, with Joe being completely at peace with his life-ending.
This was split into two different alternate endings. One which would have seen him just go to The Great Beyond and then end, and another which would have seen another scene take place, revealing what happened when souls went there, with Joe then coming back to Earth after that. However, Docter and Kemp themselves admitted that was a little confusing.
Ending Was Perfect: Joe Has Options
During Joe's first run on Earth, he becomes frustrated with what he sees as a dead-end job that isn't going anywhere. However, when he returns to Earth at the end of the movie, there are actually several options available to him, which gives his character a sense of purpose.
While the movie doesn't showcase what choice he makes, the viewers know that things have changed for him. He has the possibility of living out his dream as a jazz musician or continuing to be a teacher, which is something he appreciates a lot more after mentoring 22.
Alternate Ending: One Year Later
One ending that was considered for the movie was seeing Joe on Earth one year later, catching up with what he was doing at that point in time. This is arguably the weakest of the alternate endings as it does feel like quite a lazy decision to just skip a chunk of time and see the success that Joe has had after that point.
Docter and Kemp revealed this idea during their interview with ET, but this is one that just doesn't make sense for the movie overall. Everything about Soul was detailed, showcasing all of the journey, so skipping a chunk of time would have been really out of place. However, they did reveal that this particular ending provided more debate than any other aspect of the movie.
Ending Was Perfect: 22 Gets To Live
Throughout the movie, 22 is adamant that she doesn't want to become a human and has absolutely zero interest in going to Earth. However, it becomes pretty clear during her time on Earth that she is enjoying everything about it, and when she finally gets to go and fulfill her destiny at the end, it is a really heartwarming end for her character.
Her life doesn't need to be shown, because 22 will be starting from scratch as a baby. However, all that people need to know is that she is now on Earth, and that's exactly what happened within the movie, providing a perfect finish for her character.
Alternate Ending: Becoming A Mentor
One fun ending that Pixar almost went with would have seen Joe Gardner become a full-time mentor, which would have been very interesting. The idea would have seen Joe become the best mentor that there has ever been, implementing new ideas with Docter and Kemp revealing to ET that this version was "very cute and very funny."
Joe proved that he was brilliant at this role when he brought the best out of 22, which is something that nobody else managed to do. He was also a caring teacher on Earth, so this role would have suited his character, while also keeping him within that side of the movie.
Ending Was Perfect: Joe Gets His Life Back
While keeping Joe in The Great Beyond could have been interesting, at the end of the day Soul is a movie for the entire family to enjoy. Because of that, the decision to send Joe back to Earth and get his life back was absolutely the perfect decision to make.
It could have been very interesting to keep Joe as a soul, but that could also have been quite complex for younger viewers to grasp and understand. Having him return to his body provides the best happy ending, which is crucial for a movie of this kind.
Alternate Ending: Touring With Dorothea
Before Joe's life was turned upside down, all he ever wanted to do was achieve his life as a jazz musician, and playing with Dorothea Williams was the goal. While he did manage to achieve that once within the movie, Doctor and Kemp revealed to USA Today that one alternate ending would have seen Joe go back to his life to go on a full tour with her and the band.
This would certainly have been a full circle moment and would have given a happy ending to him achieving his ultimate dream. On top of that, in this ending, Joe would have continued teaching privately, and one of the students was going to be 22, with Joe recognizing her soul. That would obviously have brought the two characters back together right at the end, which would have been a lot of fun after the journey they go through together.
Ending Was Perfect: Allows For Imagination
Why the actual ending was perfect is that it leaves everything up to the imagination of the audience, and actually leaves the door open for a potential sequel if Pixar wanted to. The movie doesn't show you who 22 ends up being or the life she leads, and nobody knows what Joe does now he's back on Earth.
While everyone knows that Joe is going to be more positive and open, it's unknown if he plays music, goes back to teaching or does something else. This ending just allows audiences to make their own minds up based on the journey that they've been through while watching the movie, which gets people talking about the movie even more.