The Big Picture

• I Am Legend has an alternate ending that is preferred by many viewers and stays true to the original novel, showing a different fate for Dr. Neville.
• The alternate ending reveals a darker side of Neville, as he realizes he has become a monster through his experiments and decides to make amends.
• The upcoming sequel to I Am Legend will explore the idea that humanity's time as the dominant species on Earth has come to an end, following the original novel more closely.

There's something thrilling about watching a lone protagonist take on a post-apocalyptic world, especially from the comfort of our own homes. One such action thriller was the 2007 feature I Am Legend, which starred none other than Will Smith as Dr. Robert Neville, the supposed last man on Earth. Fans of I Am Legend may remember Neville's adventures in a post-apocalyptic New York City, as he works endlessly to find a cure for a virus that wiped out the vast majority of Earth's population. But folks may also remember how the movie, at least one version of it, tragically ends. Turns out, I Am Legend has an alternate ending, and it's well worth the watch.

Despite being released in 2007, the I Am Legend story extends back to the 1950s when horror writer Richard Matheson penned the novel of the same name. His story, which became a pioneer in vampire and zombie literature, was soon adapted for the screen via 1964's The Last Man on Earth with Vincent Price playing Neville (renamed Dr. Robert Morgan). Less than a decade later, the book would be brought to the screen again, this time as The Omega Man, featuring Charlton Heston in the leading role with his surname returned to Neville. Even George A. Romero was inspired by Matheson's novel, which led him to construct his own original masterpiece, Night of the Living Dead.

How Does 'I Am Legend' End?

After spending years working within a post-apocalyptic New York City (which he deems "ground zero"), virologist Dr. Robert Neville captures a Darkseeker for his experiments to find a cure. The Darkseekers (alternatively called Hemocytes in the subtitles) are humans infected by the same virus that killed most of the world's population, but instead of killing them, they mutate into albino, vampiric creatures. Given that, Neville is safe during the day since their skin burns in the sunlight, but at night he's stalked mercilessly by the Alpha Male (Dash Mihok) and his minions. Tragically, they even kill his dog. But soon Neville learns he's not alone.

Having heard his signal, which he broadcasts regularly, a woman named Anna (Alice Braga) and a young boy named Ethan (Charlie Tahan) save Neville's life. As he slowly accepts he's not alone, and that there might be others out there, Neville comes out of his shell and begins to live like a normal human being again. (Well, except for that time, he quoted an entire scene in Shrek verbatim. That was weird.) But then the Darkseekers attack, so don't think too hard about it. It turns out, Neville had captured the Alpha Female (Joanna Numata), and her mate wants her back. The Darkseekers wage war on Neville's home and the trio are forced to lock themselves in his basement lab for safety.

Naturally, it doesn't take long for the Darkseekers to arrive, and they slowly encroach on our heroes' position. Seeing that his cure has finally worked, Neville hands it over to Anna before locking her and Ethan safely away. He then faces the Darkseekers and blows himself up to defeat them, thus giving Anna and Ethan (and the cure) a chance at getting out. The film ends with Anna and Ethan arriving at a survivor's camp in Bethel, Vermont, where they hand over the cure. By the end of the film, Neville is surely seen as a hero, but also as a legend among those who survived the plague.

What Is 'I Am Legend's Alternate Ending?

But that's only one side of the story when it comes to I Am Legend. Since the action thriller was released on home video, the alternate ending has been the preferred ending for many. Sticking closer to the original novel, most of the events of the film happen the same way, but instead of sacrificing himself to save Anna and Ethan, Neville also survives. Though the alternate ending was better received following the DVD release, test audiences weren't too fond of it initially, leading to the ending being reworked into what we know from the theatrical cut.

Instead of blowing himself up to save the cure, I Am Legend's alternate ending cuts out the cure entirely. Instead, as Neville, Anna, and Ethan are cornered in the lab, Neville notes a butterfly tattoo on the Alpha Female. This revelation is juxtaposed with the Alpha Male's cracks in the glass, which form a makeshift butterfly. Here, Neville sees that the Alpha Male is just trying to be reunited with his mate, something he can't ever do. It's then that Neville sees himself the way the Darkseekers see him, as a monster who experiments on them.

Deciding to hand her back to her people, Neville makes peace with the Alpha Male, gives up his quest for a cure, and escapes with Anna and Ethan to find other survivors outside of New York City. Though the reveal that Neville's actions were inhumane is a bit darker than him heroically sacrificing himself to save the day, the alternate ending to I Am Legend (which some might consider the original or true ending) certainly brings Neville's arc full circle, allowing him to see another day. Yes, even without a cure.

Will Smith's Neville Gets a Second Chance in the Alternate Ending

One of the most compelling themes in I Am Legend is Neville's struggle to maintain a sense of normalcy in a world that's nothing of the sort. He sets up mannequins in video stores to maintain a casual conversation, talks constantly to his canine companion, and constantly reflects on the night he lost his wife and daughter. But, when he's confronted by Anna and Ethan (actual flesh-and-blood human beings) he hardly knows how to react. He's been alone for so long that he's slowly begun to lose his mind, fully consumed in his work. No wonder he ran unethical experiments on the Darkseekers.

The theatrical ending of I Am Legend allows Neville to sacrifice himself for the cause and die a martyr's death for the sake of mankind. At the end of the day, that's what Neville wants. He wants to save the world, but he doesn't want to live in it. He doesn't feel like he can without his family, and it's their memory that drives him to save a planet he feels he no longer belongs to. But that's not what Neville needs. The alternate ending gives a much more fleshed-out picture of our hero's mental state, and as he recognizes the unrecognizable monster he's become, he sees his true need to embrace humanity. Here it's the monsters that challenge Neville to live again as a man, a challenge he learns to accept.

Given that the alternate ending is a little more open-ended (and a lot more controversial), Neville's journey to find himself again is only just beginning. He may never be the man he was before the pandemic, but he might still find a life, a purpose, beyond the walls of his New York City home. Thankfully, he has friends who can help and a fresh perspective on what it means to be human. In a way, choosing to live makes Neville a bit more heroic as it forces him to confront his actions and redeem himself moving forward.

Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan Are Set for a Sequel

Those who have only seen the theatrical cut of I Am Legend were likely shocked to learn that a sequel, with Will Smith returning as Dr. Robert Neville, is currently in development. I Am Legend screenwriter Akiva Goldsman is returning to pen the sequel, which will also star Michael B. Jordan opposite Smith. "We trace back to the original Matheson book, and the alternate ending as opposed to the released ending in the original film," Goldsman told Deadline in February 2023. "What Matheson was talking about was that man’s time on the planet as the dominant species had come to an end. That’s a really interesting thing we’re going to get to explore. There will be a little more fidelity to the original text."

While we don't know much else about the upcoming sequel, we know that, like The Last of Us, it'll take place a decade or two after the early years of the viral outbreak. Additionally, Goldsman's comment that the film will follow the novel more closely is an interesting one, especially given that, though the movie took place in New York, the book is set in Los Angeles. Sure, he still mentions New York, but that doesn't mean LA won't be somehow involved.

Nevertheless, revisiting Neville so far after the events of the first film will be fascinating. Hopefully, we'll encounter a man who has been able to return to the rest of the world and move past the trauma and tragedy that turned him into a monster. If he's to be the true Omega Man, he'll have to embrace his humanity and prove that, after all these years, he is still legendary.

I Am Legend is available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.

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