An original ending to Marvel's space-set superhero film Guardians of the Galaxy, in which Peter Quill's grandfather knew that his young grandson has been abducted, was changed because it was "freaking sad".
Peter Quill, played by Chris Pratt, is abducted by space outlaws shortly after his ill mother has given him a mixtape.
He grows up to become a self-titled 'Star Lord' and forms his own team with a group of wanted criminals.
The film, the biggest box office success of 2014 so far, finishes with a montage set to Marvin Gaye's Ain't No Mountain High Enough.
Writer-director James Gunn said this week that three more characters - The Collector, Nebula and Grandpa Quill - filmed footage for the final scene, but were cut for not fitting in.
At the launch of the Guardians of the Galaxy Blu-ray edition, Gunn said he was worried people wouldn't recognise Grandpa Quill in old age make-up, and that his moment was too sad for the upbeat ending.
Gunn said, "He has this photograph of Meredith (Peter Quill's mother) and Peter as a little boy and he looks up at the stars and we go up to the stars and it was really sweet.
"It means that he must have seen Quill getting abducted at the end of that day and is still waiting for him to return but it was freaking sad so we took it out."
Karen Gillan's character Nebula, and Benicio Del Toro's The Collector, were cut for being on the wrong side, but Gunn kept the outlaw who abducted Peter Quill, Yondu, played by The Walking Dead's Michael Rooker.
"It was a real joyous experience with that finale so we thought we'd keep it to the characters that were part of 'the good team'," he said. "Which includes Yondu. He did fight on the good guys' side. So we thought we would keep it to them."
Of the missing scenes, Gunn claimed Nebula's as his favourite. "She's just p----- off and she's just walking through this field all p----- off with a busted Ravager vehicle behind her. And she's just p----- off and I loved it."
A report by Slashfilm also points out that Gunn describes Nebula and the Collector as "bad guys in the first movie", which suggests collaboration next time. A sequel is scheduled for release in 2017.
