@scenesharks: Why Eric Stoltz Saw Back to the Future as a Tragedy Before being recast, Eric Stoltz shocked the Back to the Future team by calling the story “a tragedy.” He believed Marty ends the film with a life—and family—he doesn’t truly know, while the “new” McFlys essentially lose their original son. His darker take clashed with the film’s light tone, paving the way for Michael J. Fox to step in and make the role iconic.