Bruce Almighty was a miraculously big hit back in 2003, but the 2007 follow-up Evan Almighty wasn’t blessed with the same box office magic. It turns out that the screenwriters originally had a very different storyline in mind for the sequel. Steve Koren and Mark O’Keefe revealed that their version would have seen Jim Carrey’s character switch sides and make a deal with the Devil instead of God. And that they wanted either Morgan Freeman or Carrey himself to play Satan in this movie, titled Brucifer. Bruce Almighty perfectly cast Freeman as God, but we love the idea of him doubling up to play Satan too. Can’t you just picture two Morgan Freemans, one in all white and one in red, fighting for Bruce’s soul?
While Carrey has dabbled in playing bad guys, mostly recently bringing his manic energy to the villain Dr. Robotnik in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, we can’t quite picture him as Satan. Though maybe they’d go the Lucifer route and show a more misunderstood fallen angel figure. Koren and O’Keefe shared some of their initial plot ideas in the interview with SyFy Wire. These include Jennifer Aniston’s character Grace dying, motivating Bruce to turn away from God. It certainly wouldn’t be the only movie to fridge the wife (that’s why it’s a trope), but here’s hoping they would have found a better way. Carrey was interested in this take, according to the screenwriters. He even suggested that Grace come back as a zombie when first resurrected from the dead.
The fact remains that, if the multiverse exists, there is an alternate Earth where Bruce gets the Devil’s powers in the sequel Brucifer. And perhaps in that universe, Russell Crowe’s role in Thor: Love and Thunder was as Satan and not Zeus. Concept art recently revealed that version in all its devilish glory. It would be fun to take a peek into the alternate reality where both Carrey and Crowe sink their teeth into the role of Beelzebub.
Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.