Timothée Chalamet Nearly Became a Vampire in Marty Supreme

Josh Safdie has finally opened up about what he originally had in mind for the ending of Marty Supreme, and it’s a wild one. Timothée Chalamet’s character, Marty, was set to face the fallout from his choices in a way no one saw coming. Turns out, Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, who’s never shy about sharing his thoughts, was right on the money. In a chat with Oscar-winner Sean Baker on the A24 podcast, Safdie admitted he’d planned for Marty to literally become a vampire, with the story set in the 1980s for that extra retro flavour.

Safdie said they even went as far as making a prosthetic for Chalamet, who would have been bitten by O’Leary’s character. He explained:

You’re on his eyes, we built the prosthetic for Timmy and everything, and Mr. Wonderful shows up behind him and takes a bite out of his neck, and that was the last thing in the movie.

Given the film’s heavy nods to the ’80s, this ending would have been a clear wink to classic vampire flicks from that era, like The Hunger or The Lost Boys. It’s a shame it never made the final cut, as it would have been a real talking point for punters.

Kevin O’Leary’s Vampire Ambitions

O’Leary, who plays Milton Rockwell, was keen for his character to be an actual vampire. During filming, they even took dental moulds for fangs, but the idea was eventually dropped in favour of something a bit more grounded. Still, the thought of O’Leary as a bloodsucker adds a new layer to his already memorable performance.

Even without the literal vampire angle, Milton’s big speech in the film fits right in with O’Leary’s usual style—sharp, a bit ruthless, and not far off from the kind of thing he’d say on Shark Tank. Marty’s ending, while bleak in its own way, sees him cut off from the world of ping pong and left with a lifelong rival in Milton. But for O’Leary, that just wasn’t harsh enough.

O’Leary’s Call for a Darker Ending

O’Leary didn’t hold back when it came to his thoughts on how things should have wrapped up. While Milton’s fate is pretty grim, Marty, stripped of his title, still finds some hope in becoming a dad. O’Leary reckoned that wasn’t nearly enough punishment. He argued that the consequences should have hit even harder, especially for Marty’s family.

Rachel has to die. She has to die in childbirth […] I know that sounds nuts, but to me that would be the right punishment.

It’s a brutal suggestion, but it’s classic O’Leary—never one to sugarcoat things. While his proposed ending might have been a step too far for most, you can’t deny it would have left a mark on audiences. It’s interesting to imagine how the film would have landed if Safdie had stuck with his original, much darker vision.

Marty Supreme is currently screening in cinemas across the US.