Marty McFly

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Lore & Background

Marty's journey began when his scientist friend, Doc Brown, invented a time machine using a DeLorean. Unlike early script drafts where technology changed the whole world, Marty's travels specifically altered his own family's history. The story evolved from co-creators Bob Gale asking if he would have been friends with his father based on an old yearbook. In the films, Marty finds himself in 1955, where he must ensure his teenage parents fall in love at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance to avoid erasing his own existence. He faces challenges such as being mistaken for a streetwise video pirate in early drafts, a concept rejected by Universal Pictures. The narrative also involves thwarting Biff Tannen's attempts to exploit time travel, including an alternate 1985 where Biff had used a sports almanac to gain wealth and power.

In Their Own Story

During the development of the films, Eric Stoltz was initially cast as Marty but was replaced by Michael J. Fox five weeks into shooting after Zemeckis realized Stoltz's intense method acting style clashed with the required light, comedic tone. Fox, who was only 23 playing a 17-year-old, juggled filming Back to the Future from 6:30 pm until 2:30 am while rehearsing for his TV series Family Ties from 10 am to 6 pm. In one specific scene, Fox had to play a cover of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode"; although he mimed the performance and lip-synced, real guitarist Tim May played the instrument and Mark Campbell provided vocals. For the third film, a stunt involving Marty being strung up in a noose by Buford Tannen went wrong when Fox removed a safety box, causing him to lose consciousness for several seconds as the rope blocked his carotid artery.

Reader's Guide

Marty is characterized as a confident teenager who dreams of becoming a rock star while dealing with family issues. He is the youngest of three children, having a brother named Dave and a sister named Linda. His portrayal in other media varies: David Kaufman voices him in the animated series, A.J. LoCascio voices him in the Telltale Games video game, Olly Dobson played him in the West End stage musical, and Casey Likes portrays him on Broadway. Fox himself made vocal cameos as Marty's future counterparts in the game. The character is often referenced in television and film due to his status as a pop culture icon, with Zemeckis noting that the name "Marty" was chosen because it seemed like a good, all-American name.

Did You Know?

• Michael J. Fox was only 23 years old when he portrayed the 17-year-old Marty McFly in 1985.
• Eric Stoltz filmed five weeks of scenes as Marty before being replaced by Michael J. Fox due to a clash in acting styles.
• In the famous 'Johnny B. Goode' scene, Mark Campbell provided the vocals while Tim May played the guitar.
• During filming of Back to the Future Part III, Michael J. Fox lost consciousness for several seconds when a stunt rope blocked his carotid artery.
• The name 'Marty' was chosen by Bob Gale because it sounded like a production assistant's name from their previous film, Used Cars.