Back to the Future’sMarty McFly is a great protagonist with plenty of strengths, but several aspects of his character haven’t aged particularly well, and prove that he was always somewhat unlikeable. McFly was responsible for some ofBack to the Future’s best quotesand most iconic scenes throughout the entire trilogy, and despite his flaws, he remains a beloved character that plays a crucial role in these films. It’s certainly true thatBack to the Futurewouldn’t have been such an enormous success without him - butsome of his traits didn’t need to be played so negatively.
Throughout theBack to the Futuretrilogy, Marty and Doc travel through the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries,creating new timelines as they go. This opens the door for some of the most innovative and creative time travel narratives ever put to screen, but unfortunately, it also forces the characters into some problematic situations that quickly highlight their flaws and don’t hold up well today.Marty McFly is probably the worst culprit of them all, as behind the charm and charisma, is a selfish and often creepy teenager.
10Marty Blatantly Checks Out Other Girls In Front Of Jennifer
He’s A Terrible Boyfriend At First
From as early as the opening ofBack to the Future, it’s no secret that Marty McFly has eyes for other girls. His relationship with Jennifer is the core romance of the entire trilogy, with their dynamic playing a huge role in each character’s respective development - but his loyalty to the relationship is immediately tested.The scene is played for laughs, intended to prove that McFly is just a “regular guy,” but the subtle objectification hasn’t aged well at all.
10 Mistakes That Made It Into The Back To The Future Movies
All three of the Back to the Future movies have a few minor errors which fans have spotted over the years, but they add to the franchise’s charm.
Of course, Marty and Jennifer’s relationship hasn’t been fully established at this point in the movie, so audiences aren’t as critical of Marty as they would have been otherwise, but the moment still feels strange. The pair will ultimately come together and emerge from the trilogy stronger than before, but it’s an unusual decision to kick off this entire franchise with a very subtle suggestion thatthe protagonist isn’t dedicated to his love interest.
9Marty’s Reaction To Biff Trashing His Father’s Truck Is Selfish
He Shows No Sympathy For His Father
There are plenty ofhidden story clues inBack to the Future, and many of them relate to the enigmatic character of Biff. He starts out as an inconspicuous side character but quickly becomes the antagonist of the entire trilogy, causing trouble for Marty and Doc Brown wherever they go. However, there’s one moment in the first film that’s intended to make audiences turn against Biff that actuallymakes them turn against Marty instead.
In the scene, the film attempts to display Biff’s selfishness by having him trash George McFly’s truck, but the real selfishness comes from Marty when he complains about not being able to use the vehicle. He displays no sympathy for his father, who owned the car in the first place. Of course,Marty is only a teenager and has problems of his own, but his reaction here seems exaggerated considering it was never his car to begin with.
8Marty Is Embarrassed By His Father Being Bullied
His Attitude Is Pretty Selfish
When Marty travels back to 1955, the main conflict of the movie arises as he accidentally prevents his parents from meeting - and consequently erases himself from the timeline. In order to stop this disaster, he’s forced to befriend the younger versions of his parents and set them up on a date. However, there are a fewglaring plot holes inBack to the Future,but perhapsthe biggest problem with the story is that Marty is a terrible friend to George.
He doesn’t give George any reason to accept his friendship, but rather takes it for granted that his unpopular father will want to hang out with him.
Marty is constantly ashamed of his father’s shyness and always gets embarrassed when Biff and his friends pick on him, despite Marty having the upper hand. He doesn’t give George any reason to accept his friendship, but rather takes it for granted that his unpopular father will want to hang out with him. It’s another example of Marty’s selfishness, and while it allows for some great jokes,it does contribute towards the protagonist being unlikable in certain aspects.
7Marty’s Plan Involves Simulating A Sexual Assault Scenario (On His Own Mother)
It’s An Unnecessarily Traumatic Way Of Getting The Couple Together
AlthoughBack to the Futurehas aged well overall, there are a few scenes that definitely wouldn’t have made the cut today. The most obvious is Marty’s mastermind plan to bring his parents together, which involves simulating his mother’s own sexual assault in order to spur his father into taking revenge.The scene is hugely dramaticand does a good job of getting audiences invested in the narrative, but there are much easier paths Marty could have taken in order to save the timeline.
The whole plan to put his mother in danger seems unnecessary from Marty, and it would have made a lot more sense for him to figure something out that didn’t involve so much danger and potential trauma.He knew that George and Lorraine loved each otherin another reality, so surely it shouldn’t take such drastic measures to get them together now. Marty’s actions in this plan come across as fairly inconsiderate and unnecessary.
6A Back To The Future Deleted Scene Reveals Marty Was Afraid Of “Turning Out Gay”
The Joke Didn’t Land At The Time, And It’s Worse Now
Although it didn’t make the final cut of the film, there’s one unfortunate deleted scene forBack to the Futurein which Marty confides in Doc that his ingenious plan of hitting on his own mother could make him “turn out gay,”which obviously doesn’t make any sense. It’s a pretty insensitive line that highlights Marty’s own regressive views, and if it had been kept in the film, it would have been very difficult to justify Marty’s actions.
Thankfully this scene didn’t make the final cut, but the fact that it exists in the screenplay still speaks to Marty’s character in a negative way. The line is clearly a joke, and he’s not actually “afraid” that he’ll become gay, but it feels wholly unnecessary.
5Back To The Future’s Ending Proves Marty Is Very Materialistic
He Only Cares About His Family’s Newfound Wealth
The ending ofBack to the Futuresees Marty and Doc Brown successfully bring George and Lorraine back together, resetting the timeline and allowing Marty to travel back to his home in 1985 - but when he returns, everything has changed. His family is suddenly rich, and instead of Biff bullying them, he now works for them.It’s a happy ending all around, but for some reason Marty seems happier about his newfound wealth than about having saved his own life.
The fact that George and Lorraine have overcome their financial troubles is obviously great, butit shouldn’t be the main focus of the ending. They still had sources of happiness before the timeline reset, yet Marty acts like everything has finally been solved because his dad has a new car.
4Marty Is Insecure About Coming Across “Chicken”
It’s Constantly His Biggest Concern
ThroughoutBack to the Future, Marty struggles with being called “chicken.” It happens a few times throughout the film, usually because of Biff, and every single time Marty is unable to take the insult. It’s usually played as a joke, butthis quickly becomes the character’s defining characteristicand Marty comes across very insecure as a result.
This macho behavior is clearly a result of the era in which the film was made, but it leaves modern audiences finding Marty judgmental and lacking confidence.The character’s charm and humor comes across as defensive and harshinstead of cool and carefree, as the film intends, and it gives a whole new dimension to his attitude.
3Marty Takes Credit For Chuck Berry’s Song At The Dance
He Rewrites An Important Period Of Music History
Back to the Future’s Chuck Berry paradoxhas long been a point of contention when discussing the iconic movie, but whether it’s a logical fallacy or not, it’s still very ignorant of Marty to pass off the iconic song as his own in the final scene. Not only does it paint him as selfish once again, but it also raises the important issue ofa white teenager stealing an important piece of black musical culture.
Marty obviously wasn’t thinking about any of this when he performed the song, and it was simply included to give some extra life to the Enchantment Under The Sea dance. But those who are familiar with the history of Chuck Berry’s music and its importance in the development of rock and roll as a genre can clearly see the problem with this moment.
2Marty Has A Weird Obsession With Getting Revenge On Biff
Marty Was Way Too Concerned With Making Biff Suffer
Marty’s anger towards Biff and his multiple attempts to embarrass him make for some ofBack to the Future’s funniest scenes, but when considered as a whole, it doesn’t make sense for him to be so wound-up about this man that he barely knows. It could be argued that he’s trying to get revenge for bullying his father, butMarty never seems that bothered about George’s misfortuneuntil he gets to benefit from bullying Biff back.
Marty’s rivalry with Biff makes a lot more sense inBack to the Future Part II.Here, the antagonist’s actions directly affect the timeline and cause problems that urgently need to be solved, but he’s simply minding his own business in the first film when Marty decides to rope him into his over-the-top revenge plot.
1Marty Has Issues Controlling His Temper
He Struggles To Keep His Emotions In Check
ThroughoutBack to the Future, there are several moments when Marty could’ve easily walked away and saved himself some trouble. Whether it’s being called chicken, watching Biff throw insults at his father, or constructing his overly complicated plan to bring George and Lorraine together - there’s always a moment when he snaps and goes too far. These scenes are always littered with jokes, butwhen the humor is taken away, Marty comes across as volatile and unpredictable.
Several otheractors were considered for the role of Marty McFlyinBack to the Future, but without Michael J. Fox’s innate charm and sense of humor, the character easily could’ve become unlikeable and made the project much worse. His pitch-perfect performance manages to save the character from ever veering too deeply into anger or vengeance, which is hugely important.
Back to the Future
“Back to the Future” is a science fiction adventure franchise that follows the time-traveling adventures of Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown. Created by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the series is known for its clever use of time travel, memorable characters, and iconic DeLorean time machine. The franchise explores themes of causality, destiny, and the impact of individual actions on the future. Its blend of humor, heart, and innovative storytelling has made it a beloved classic in film history.
