Somewhere off in a distant universe—one parallel to our own—there's probably a catalog of films identical to our own, only slightly different. Examples of fictional movies, such as Shazaam starring Sinbad, support such a claim. And now, there's even more evidence to believe that there is.
During an interview with podcaster Joe Vulpis, Melora Hardin, known for her role as Jan on The Office, revealed that she landed the part of Jennifer in Back to the Future before Claudia Wells returned to take on the role -- Wells had previously been cast opposite Stoltz before backing out of the role when ABC picked up Off the Rack, leading to Hardin's casting. Hardin could've become the second most important female character in the franchise had it not been for the impulsive recasting decisions.
Initially, Hardin signed a two-picture deal to play Marty McFly's girlfriend. The problem was that her part in the movie hinged on Eric Stoltz, who was ultimately replaced. This change unfortunately resulted in Hardin being let go, but there's more to it.
In her discussion with Vulpis, Hardin explained how two studio executives didn't like her height. Their rationale was that the taller Hardin emasculated the shorter Fox, which meant they couldn't share scenes together. It gave them enough cause to replace Hardin, recruiting Wells in her stead.
What's puzzling is that Fox worked alongside females—some taller than him—in subsequent films. For instance, Susan Ursitti, the actress who plays Fox's love interest in Teen Wolf, is the same height as he is. Additionally, Trini Alvardo, Fox's love interest in The Frighteners, is five foot seven inches. Fox is only five foot four inches.
As for Stoltz's removal—it was attributed to his acting style. Director Robert Zemeckis reportedly didn't think Stoltz's method-acting would align with the tone of his film. Zemeckis wanted Back to the Future to be light and comedic, and he felt that an actor taking the material too seriously wouldn't capture his vision for the movie.
What Could've Been
What's fascinating is how the original cast for Back to the Future could've altered a piece of pop culture history. Michael J. Fox became a household name thanks to the science fiction flick, going on to star in Teen Wolf and The Secret to My Success. But what if it was Eric Stoltz instead? While the latter actor gained notoriety without Back to the Future under his belt, he could've emerged as a generational icon had things transpired differently.
Hardin, on the other hand, didn't miss out on much as, ultimately, audiences cared more for Doc Brown and Marty McFly than they did for Jennifer.
Regardless, there's probably an alternate universe in the vast multiverse where Eric Stoltz played Marty McFly. The 2019 film The Flash jokes about such a situation when Barry Allen travels through time, creating a butterfly effect that leads to an alternate version of Zemeckis' movie.
The Back to the Future movies are available on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, and Fandango at Home.