Anna Daniels
Salt is an action-packed spy drama about a woman who discovers that she’s secretly a sleeper agent for the Russians despite years of working for the CIA, but an alternate version of the film’s ending would’ve added even more layers to the already twisty tale.
In the original ending of the film, after the titular Evelyn Salt turns on the Russians she was supposed to collaborate with, the counterintelligence officer who arrested Salt is now convinced that she’s on the right side. As a result, Salt is allowed to escape, and the film heavily implies that she will continue to hunt down other sleeper agents and, hopefully, make the world a safer place. This concept is perfect for setting up a sequel, though the film never got one.
In the alternate ending for the film, the sequel setup is more implicit, because we actually get to see Salt’s next steps. The extended ending shows Salt disguised as a nun, infiltrating the secret Russian facility where she was trained. Salt kills the Russian spymaster, Orlov, and dumps his body, and the scene ends with the facility exploding, implying Salt’s intention to rip the operation out root and stem. It’s a darker ending, but one that definitely implies the next chapter of her life will be even more explosive.
Written by: Looper
