The 1998 film ‘The Mask of Zorro’ marked a vibrant revival of the legend of the mysterious masked avenger operating in 19th-century California. Directed by Martin Campbell and starring Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Anthony Hopkins, the film captivated audiences around the world. However, few people know that the filmmakers originally planned a completely different ending.
The character of Zorro was created in 1919 by writer Johnston McCulley. The masked hero quickly became a cinematic favorite: he was first portrayed by Douglas Fairbanks, then by Tyrone Power, whose performance is considered one of the best. In the late 1950s, the black-and-white Disney television series made Zorro a worldwide icon, with Guy Williams becoming the face of the character for an entire generation. In the 1970s, French actor Alain Delon even took on the role, saying he wanted to delight his 10-year-old son Anthony.
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The 1998 American adaptation offered a fresh take on the classic story. It featured two Zorros — the older Don Diego de la Vega (Anthony Hopkins) and his protégé Alejandro (Antonio Banderas). This generational pairing, along with the charismatic chemistry between Banderas and Zeta-Jones, became one of the film’s key ingredients for success.
The first version of the screenplay was written by Nancy Larsen, the sister of producer John Gertz, who initiated the project. The story drew inspiration from both McCulley’s later works and the 1930s film Robin Hood of El Dorado. Director Martin Campbell, who had previously helmed GoldenEye, studied all earlier Zorro adaptations carefully to create a respectful and layered reimagining of the legendary hero.
The Ending That Was Originally Planned
In the final version of the film, Don Diego and Alejandro defeat their enemies. Diego, fatally wounded, gives his blessing to his daughter and Alejandro, who takes on the mantle of Zorro and finds happiness with Elena.
The original ending was different: after the mine is destroyed and Diego dies, Alejandro and Elena lead the peasants into the desert. There, they encounter Mexican General Santa Anna and his army, who have come to claim the gold from the “El Dorado” mine. The general offers the peasants a chance to return to the city so they can survive. The crowd accepts his offer and disperses, and the film ends with a romantic kiss between Alejandro and Elena.
However, test audiences didn’t respond well to this ending, finding it rushed and emotionally unsatisfying. As a result, the director reshot the finale, adding Don Diego’s death scene — which became one of the most memorable moments in the film.
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The producers also considered an alternative in which Don Diego survived. But this idea was abandoned: Anthony Hopkins’s death scene was so powerful that they decided not to reshoot it. The filmmakers chose to avoid turning the film into an overly sentimental story with a perfect happy ending.
Interestingly, the sequel The Legend of Zorro also had an alternate ending, in which Joaquin — the baby from the first film — rides off into the sunset, hinting that he will become the next Zorro. This was later changed after the film was completed to keep the door open for Banderas and Zeta-Jones to return together — a possibility that the film’s box office performance ultimately ruled out.
