2014’s Robocop reboot originally included a scene that would have explained why Alex Murphy still has one of his human hands. The modern update of Robocop follows a similar set-up as the 1987 original, with Detroit cop Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) being nearly killed only to be given a new life as the cybernetic law enforcement officer Robocop. While Paul Verhoeven’s Robocop is regarded as one of the best sci-fi movies of its era, and a great societal satire, the 2014 Robocop by José Padilha unfortunately did not capture the same lightning in a bottle.
A major criticism directed at the Robocop reboot was the decision for the movie to be released with a PG-13 rating, which eliminated much of the over-the-top violence that played into the original Robocop movie franchise and its critiquing of ’80s Reaganism and American culture. One particularly emblematic element of this was seen in Alex still having his human right hand after becoming Robocop, with Alex’s right hand being graphically blown off in the original Robocop. However, a deleted scene shows how this was intended to play into the Robocop reboot’s new spin on the original’s premise.
A Deleted Scene Explains Alex’s Human Hand In 2014’s Robocop
In the deleted Robocop scene in question, Omnicorp scientist Dennett Norton (Gary Oldman), who is overseeing the Robocop project, explains that Alex Murphy’s “body is beyond repair, but his brain is completely intact and functioning“, making him a suitable candidate to become Robocop. Omnicorp CEO Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton) then asks Norton if he can salvage Murphy’s right hand, stating “My father always said you can tell a lot about a man by his handshake.” This request by Sellars would have played heavily into Omnicorp’s larger plans for Robocop in the movie.
In 2014’s Robocop, there is considerable nationwide debate on the use of drones like the ED-209 model being expanded from overseas military operations to domestic law enforcement, with present American legislation blocking it. Sellars and Omnicorp design Robocop specifically as a means to get the American people and Congress on board with robotic law enforcement officers, with Sellars reasoning that Americans “want something that knows what it feels like to be human.” The deleted scene of Sellars requesting that Norton keep Murphy’s right hand intact would have added to both Omnicorp’s plans and Alex’s character arc on multiple levels.
How Robocop’s Deleted Scene Would Have Helped Explain Alex’s Character
Sellars sees Robocop as a tool of public relations as much as law enforcement, so it makes sense that he would prioritize Robocop’s handshake as a means to that end. By keeping Murphy’s right hand in place, Sellars and Omnicorp hope to ease Americans into the idea of machines becoming a key component of policing. Meanwhile, Alex Murphy is struggling to come to terms with his new cybernetic body, and the Robocop reboot even gives Murphy a vivid look at how much he’s lost when Norton shows Murphy what remains of him when the Robocop body is taken off.
Apart from his face, brain, and organs, Murphy’s right hand is the only part of his old body that he still has left, and the deleted scene discussing keeping his hand shows how divergent Omnicorp’s agenda is from Murphy’s perspective. To Omnicorp, Murphy’s hand is nothing more than a marketing tool, but to him, it’s a way to remember that he is still human, even if he now occupies a metal body. Murphy’s humanity has always been central to every movie in the Robocop franchise, and the Robocop reboot keeping this scene could have helped emphasize both points more powerfully.
