Marty turning down a drag race in Back to the Future Part III might not seem all that important, but it is secretly a pivotal moment in his character transformation. Throughout the Back to the Future trilogy, Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly transforms significantly. In the 1985 original, he is a rebellious teen who teaches his father to stand up for himself when he time-travels back to 1955. This version of Fox’s character can be brash and impulsive, and Back to the Future’s Marty is arguably even unlikable considering how thoughtless he can be.

Back to the Future Part II’s Marty is more mature, but viewers still shouldn’t expect much heroism from the teenage protagonist. Back to the Future Part II’s entire almanac subplot only becomes an issue because Marty has the bright idea of using time travel to get rich from gambling, a suggestion that horrifies Christopher Lloyd’s Doc Brown. Marty may not go through with this particular plan, but it gives viewers an idea of where his head is at in the second movie.

The Story Of Martin McFly Makes Marty Consider His Rashness

Marty’s Inherited Temper Caused His Ancestor Martin’s Untimely Demise

The best test of Marty’s maturity comes whenever he is called a “Chicken.” Marty can’t stand being called a coward or having his perceived masculinity called into question, and he never turns down a fight, dare, or other bad idea that comes from someone calling him chicken. That is, until the end of Back to the Future Part III. A local hoodlum named Needles tells Marty he will be a chicken unless he races him, but Marty wisely refuses to take this bait.

Since viewers have spent the last hour and a half watching Marty take on Mad Dog Tannen and win, it seems like a foregone conclusion that the fearless antihero will win this drag race, too. As such, it comes as something of a shock to see Marty sitting pretty at the stoplights while Needles, played by Red H๏τ Chili Peppers guitarist Flea, narrowly avoids a collision with an oncoming truck. However, this scene isn’t so surprising to viewers who have been paying close attention to Marty’s changing personality and, in particular, his interactions with his ancestors.

When Marty first arrives back in the Wild West, he is taken in by his ancestor, Seamus McFly. Seamus notes Marty’s obvious resemblance to his late brother Martin, who was tragically killed in a bar fight years earlier. Although he is saddened by the loss, Seamus admits that his brother had a terrible tendency to goad patrons into fighting him so he wouldn’t be seen as a coward. While Seamus doesn’t outright blame Martin for his demise, Marty’s distant relative does unintentionally provide a sobering life lesson to him.

Seamus McFly Inspires Marty To Become A Better Person

Marty Reconsiders His Antagonism Thanks To Seamus’s Story

When Marty returns to Hill Valley in the present day of 1985, the importance of this story hits him like one of Back to the Future’s lightning bolts. Marty realizes he needs to learn from his ancestor’s mistake and avoids the drag race, finally understanding that his reputation as a tough guy isn’t worth his life. Marty later learns that the drag race would have ultimately been his undoing, contributing to a string of terrible events that culminate in him losing his job thanks to an illegal scheme he entered into with Needles during a moment of desperation.

Marty’s ability to ignore provocation and look after his own life serves him well, saving him and Jennifer from a lifetime of suffering. It is particularly fitting that Marty’s ancestor accidentally gives him this important piece of life-altering advice when he travels back in time, since Marty himself came back from the future to give his father some similarly vital, life-reshaping advice in 1955. Back to the Future Part II’s cut story about Marty’s brother Dave makes this cycle even more obvious.

Marty Learns About What Happens To His Future Self From Doc Brown

Steering Clear Of Needles Saved Marty’s Life In 2015

Originally, Marty saved Dave from a life of desтιтution and alcoholism by undoing Biff’s takeover of Hill Valley. This storyline mirrors the way that Marty’s life almost went off the rails with that fateful drag race. Whether it is Marty’s father standing up to Biff, Dave avoiding addiction, or Marty resisting the urge to prove himself to Needles, all Back to the Future’s heroes rely on advice they gain from their family members via time-traveling throughout the trilogy.

When Back to the Future begins, Marty’s brash atтιтude is a necessary attribute that allows him to help his father stand up for himself. By Back to the Future Part III, the problems with Marty’s feckless nature are becoming clear, and it is time for Seamus to teach him the value of humility. Thus, Back to the Future Part III’s vital drag race proves how much Marty has grown throughout the series.