Summary

Chris Rock’s pitch for a twist on the Saw franchise led to significant changes in the ninth installment, now known as Spiral. Rock’s prior engagement with Fargo season four prevented him from directing Spiral, but he still had a significant role in its development. Despite his departure from the Saw franchise, there is a possibility that Rock may return in a future installment, possibly in Spiral 2.

Chris Rock’s initial interpretation of a reinvigorated Saw film probably would have left terror aficionados spiraling. Behind the scenes, Rock nearly transformed the complete manner of the movie and, by extension, the rest of the Saw franchise. It had to do with a pitch he made for the ninth installment. Could this be the reason for his departure?

The story goes that Chris Rock requested a Lionsgate friend to carve him up a part in an upcoming Saw film. For a time, the project took a tertiary role to Spiral, which eventually became Saw IX. Rock had proposed to the executive producer that they create another entry in the horror franchise with an emphasis on comedic moments of counterpoint. It would have been similar to the Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte vehicle 48 Hours, with intense action and well-timed comedy relief.

Yet a month later, original Saw producer Mark Burg bartered a contract with Rock. The comedian was to both aid development as well as star in a project with a very different pitch attached. Rock would have directed Spiral if it weren’t for his prior engagement to season four of Fargo, where Rock had an important role. With such a great relationship and Saw X creating renewed excitement among horror enthusiasts, why would Chris Rock leave the Saw franchise?

Solid as a Rock?
Lionsgate

Saw X was originally meant to be Saw IX as this particular script was bought by Twisted Pictures and was almost set for pre-production before Chris Rock, as aforementioned, bugged his Lionsgate buddy to be in a Saw flick. Then it took a back seat to Spiral, which then became Saw IX. Reportedly, Rock was determined to instill more moments of levity in Spiral as a counterpoint to the torture scenes but changed his mind after reading the second draft.

Related: Saw X Has a Record-Breaking Runtime But Tobin Bell’s Jigsaw Return Could Have Been Even Longer

Chris Rock isn’t a stranger to action, as seen in his 1997 acting debut in Lethal Weapon 4. Capable of more than sly, witty retorts and the occasional pun, the man can switch easily to dramatic impetus, and he appears authoritative while holding a gun. Seeing the comedian out of his comfort zone and out of his depth in Spiral gave his long-time fans a new respect for the actor, and a great deal of horror enthusiasts were looking forward to a future turn from him, even in a cameo capacity, in the final installment of the Saw franchise.

Why Couldn’t It Work?

The Saw franchise has scared long-time fans since creator James Wan first subjected his vision to the world two decades ago in 2004. Regardless of new traps and terrors, enthusiasts clamored to find out if Saw X was somehow connected to Spiral and the character of Detective Zeke.

Well, Saw X is only connected to Spiral via the Saw universe. Indeed, Spiral was subtitled ‘From The Book Of Saw’ in order to differentiate it as an original side chapter with new characters. Believe it or not, Saw X actually acts more as a sequel to the much older film Saw while simultaneously serving as a double-act prequel to Saw II.

Related: Saw X Producers Address the Unmissable Post-Credits Scene and What It Means For the Franchise

How About Spiral 2?
Lionsgate

Saw X undoubtedly shook franchise fans to their core. But would the film have been better with Chris Rock’s character Detective Zeke Banks? With a surprising turn by Samuel L. Jackson, Spiral took viewers of the past Saw franchise into new territory by following the son of a famous investigator as he took over an inquiry into gruesome homicides eerily similar to the infamous ‘Saw’ killings of the city’s notorious past. Suddenly finding himself at the center of the entire murder conspiracy, Zeke was forced to rely on all his training – and more – to overcome insurmountable odds. Why not carry it over to Saw X?

It’s worth noting that although billed as tentatively ‘the final Saw film,’ this is probably not true. Hollywood doesn’t make its decisions to release sequels and prequels to serve the story or fans; they do it for profit. Thus, even 2010’s Saw: The Final Chapter (similar to 2016’s Resident Evil: The Final Chapter) was not, in reality, the final tale to be told.

Chris Rock loves the gory intrigue of Saw, and he loved playing Detective Zeke in Spiral, but it wasn’t just prior commitments to other projects that kept Chris away from Saw X. The fact is, the story just didn’t fit in with the character’s timeline, and that’s okay – we’ll, hopefully, see Rock return once more in Spiral 2.