The тιтle of Back to the Future is a classic for a reason, and it’s hard to imagine that the trilogy would have become what it is if it had been given a different name. As the original plan was for Back to the Future to be a standalone, the name was not chosen with the idea of encompᴀssing a franchise the way that the тιтle does. However, the name of the movie almost wasn’t Back to the Future at all.

Head of Universal Studios Sidney Sheinberg wanted the alternate тιтle Space Man From Pluto instead of Back to the Future, as he was worried that the тιтle Back to the Future would be too restrictive. Sheinberg felt that it was too obviously a movie about time travel and wanted to give the film a тιтle that would have a broader appeal to science fiction fans. He had no way of knowing that Back to the Future would become a pinnacle of the time travel genre.

Back To The Future’s Terrible Alternate тιтle Would’ve Added More Meaning To The “Darth Vader” Scene

Space Man From Pluto Would Have Been A Terrible тιтle, But It Would Be A Nice Reference To A Fantastic Scene

Though the name Space Man From Pluto would have felt disconnected from most of the film, the scene where Marty declares himself to be Darth Vader would have felt more meaningful. This scene convinces George to try to ask Lorraine out, so it’s a key moment for the emotional core of the movie. Marty’s decision to scare George plays a large role in helping get the future back on track after the events following the saving of George create a paradox, and, likely, this moment is also what inspired George’s novel A Match Made In Space.

The тιтle Space Man From Pluto would have put a focus on the relationship between Marty and his father, which makes sense knowing that the plan was for the film to be a standalone. It is kind of funny that while the тιтle Space Man From Pluto would have been meant to establish the film as a science fiction that anyone could be interested in, its real accomplishment would be its reference to a key moment in George’s history. It’s not a perfect тιтle, or even a good one, but there is logic behind Sheinberg’s idea.

It Was Still 100% The Right Call To Stick With “Back To The Future” As A тιтle

Back To The Future Gets Right To The Core Of What These Movies Are About

There are multiple reasons why Back to the Future‘s тιтle is for the best. If Back to the Future existed as a standalone under the тιтle Space Man From Pluto, the movie’s time travel technology would have felt like a background element to support the main story surrounding Marty’s parents, rather than the key element of the trilogy that it ended up becoming. The real тιтle emphasizes a crucial element of the film.

The тιтle Back to the Future understands how important time travel is to the story the movie is trying to tell. The real тιтle of Back to the Future perfectly establishes what kind of movie to expect, and it plays a part in why the movie is such a classic. Considering how much Back to the Future has influenced time travel movies since its release, the real тιтle is absolutely for the best.