M.O.O.N - that spells backlash! The ending of Stephen King's
The Stand has always been seen as fairly controversial, because...well, it's a bit rubbish really! The author has always admitted that he finds it difficult to come up with satisfying resolutions for his stories, and nowhere is that more evident than his 900-page tale of good VS. evil. Several of our surviving heroes are captured by the demonic Randall Flagg in his base of operations in Las Vegas, and are about to be executed when another evil character, the Trashcan Man, shows up with a nuke. Then -- giving a whole new meaning to the term Deus ex machina -- the literal hand of God comes down from heaven and detonates it, destroying the lot of'em. Well, we may (thankfully) be spared this -- although you might not feel this possible ending is any better! Here's how an earlier draft of the script wrapped things up.
"In this version, from last year, the good guy survivors from Boulder get together in an army and march on Las Vegas to kill Randall Flagg. Flagg's headquarters is, of course, the Luxor Pyramid. The Boulderites invade the city while, off to the east, a squad fights at the Boulder Dam - which Trashcan Man explodes, killing Larry Underwood and sending a deadly flood to Vegas. In the city Flagg squares off against hero Stu Redman... who now has the power of God, and they have an Akira-like battle on the Las Vegas Strip, with Flagg trying to take Stu's magic. Cars are thrown, Excalbur's turrets are tossed, the people of Vegas are used by Flagg as disposable cannon-fodder. Meanwhile Nick Andros sacrifices his life taking out a howitzer. The Boulder forces, while armed, try to only take prisoners and rescue people from being under Flagg's evil spell. It all comes down to Flagg and Stu, and whether or not Stu will absorb Flagg's evil magic."
Also, Badass Digest mention that there was a mid-credits stinger that sets up a sequel! Aside from the changes of having Stu present in Vegas, and Nick dying at the end and not earlier on in the house explosion, I think I do prefer the sounds of that. Obviously we don't know if this will be retained for the finished film, but what do you guys think? Better? Worse? Sound off below.