You Won’t Believe What The Martian Cut: Cannibalism Jokes and a Silent Dust-Storm Finale
Ten years after its film debut, The Martian remains a clear example of how a science-fiction novel was reshaped for the big screen. The movie kept the core story — a stranded astronaut surviving on Mars — but it also left out two tense and darker sequences from Andy Weir’s original book.
Overview of book and film
Andy Weir’s novel was originally self-published and later released in 2014. It focuses on astronaut and astrobotanist Mark Watney’s internal monologue as he calculates how to survive on Mars by growing potatoes and repairing equipment. Ridley Scott directed the film adaptation, which premiered on October 2, 2015, and Drew Goddard wrote the screenplay. Matt Damon stars as Mark Watney.
What the film changed
The movie keeps the story’s scientific basis, but it shifts the emphasis. For example, the film spends more time on NASA personnel and the Ares III crew, and it adds more action to the climax. Consequently, some book material that relies on Watney’s solo internal calculations and long, solitary stretches was shortened or cut.
Cut sequences from the book
Cannibalism contingency and black humor
In the novel, there is a contingency plan that is darker than anything shown in the movie. If the Ares III crew failed to secure enough supplies for the return trip, everyone except Beth Johanssen would kill themselves, and Beth — chosen because she is the youngest and smallest crewmember — would be left as the sole survivor and would have to eat her crewmates to survive. The book uses this scenario as grim black humor and as a way to underline the stakes and the crew’s willingness to sacrifice for one another. The film omits this material.
Lost communication and the dust-storm finale
Another section cut from the film involves Watney losing communication with NASA near the end of the story. In the book, he must travel to a future-mission vehicle while a dust storm threatens his rover’s solar panels. NASA knows a storm is coming but cannot warn him, and the final stretch becomes a tense sequence of uncertainty. The film replaces this silent, solitary suspense with more interaction between characters and a longer, action-focused rescue sequence in space.
Project Hail Mary adaptation
Finally, Drew Goddard is returning to adapt another Andy Weir novel, Project Hail Mary. That adaptation is scheduled for release in 2026, with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller directing and Ryan Gosling set to star. The book similarly centers on a lone astronaut who must rely on scientific know-how and ingenuity to survive.
