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Beyond the priceless chemistry between Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, the original Men in Black trilogy (now streaming on Peacock) remains iconic because of its shockingly thoughtful approach to the realm of science fiction — both in terms of world-building and its larger ruminations on humanity’s place within the wider universe. For instance, the conclusion of each film is unafraid to broach deep existential questions and, more importantly, remind us just how insignificant we are when compared to the grand scheme of things.

Who knows? Maybe our galaxy is housed within a marble or, perhaps, all of reality is nothing more than a speck-like civilization (à la Dr. Seuss’s Whoville) contained within a train terminal locker. Anything’s possible! This mind-blowing philosophical approach to the material originated with original Men in Black screenwriter Ed Solomon, who wanted to prioritize reflective storytelling over traditional action, which caused a creative disconnect with producer Walter Parkes and director Barry Sonnenfeld.

How the Ending of Men in Black Changed a Week Before It was Filmed

In the official companion book to the franchise, Solomon recalls how he pushed for “a more philosophical, clever, science fiction ending,” where Agent J (Smith) engages the Edgarbug in cosmic discourse as a way to keep him on the planet after K (Jones) allows himself to be swallowed. Parkes, however, thought the movie’s climax should be more explosive, with J and K “blasting the s–t out of an alien,” the writer added. Sonnenfeld, who would go on to helm both sequels, agreed with that sentiment. “Until the very end, the movie was Will Smith talking to Edgarbug about the nature of humanity and the universe,” he says. “There was no action.”

With only a week to go until the final confrontation was scheduled to be shot, the team turned to executive producer Steven Spielberg for advice. The undisputed master of cinema did not disappoint, conjuring up two brilliant pitches — the first of which involved J breaking open a Coca-Cola vending machine to take advantage of the Bug’s insatiable appetite for sugar water that had been established earlier in the movie. Spielberg’s second suggestion, the idea of J playing on the interstellar pest’s massive inferiority complex by stomping on terrestrial cockroaches, won out.

But as Solomon’s abstract denouement evolved into a more spectacle-driven affair, the production team realized it could no longer make use of the animatronic Edgarbug puppet that Rick Baker had spent months perfecting with his team (the plan was to combine the practical build with some CGI). However, as Sonnenfeld explains in the book, “…his bug couldn’t do what the script needed it to do.” Adds Parkes: “It was sort of a tipping point in the movie business [and] the end of big animatronics.”

Baker and his crew were, of course, taken aback, but graciously allowed the digital effects wizards at Industrial Light & Magic to take over from there. Working closely with Sonnenfeld and Spielberg, ILM created a fully CG version of the Edgarbug that embraced the villain’s insectoid roots, standing in contrast to Baker’s reptilian-inspired aesthetic. According to Benton Jew — who received final credit for the body redesign — Spielberg wanted the Edgarbug to recall “The Zanti Misfits,” a classic episode of The Outer Limits featuring a species of extraterrestrial bugs with “weird, smiling faces.” 

While the eleventh hour scramble to come up with a brand-new ending did add a few extra million bucks to Men in Black’s final price tag, it ultimately proved to be a case of money well spent, which isn’t always the case with last-minute reshoots. “We’re so lucky we did it,” Sonnenfeld concludes, “because it came together.”

Catch up on the fun before the Men in Black trilogy is neuralyzed from Peacock’s memory. Stream all three movies right here!