History WhatCouldHaveBeen / SawIV

* In the motel, with Ivan and the dog, was a drunk, homeless man sleeping on the floor known simply as the "vagrant". In a recorded scene from an earlier version of the script, when Jigsaw takes the cover off the Glass Coffin, the vagrant was going to be the victim in the trap, where he had to find a key among a bunch of glass shards in order to escape. The scene was deleted after the MPAA deemed it to be too violent, but you can find a screenshot of it by looking up the movie's cast on IMDB.

* There's a deleted scene from [[https://preview.redd.it/29c2dgq591kb1.png?width=814&format=png&auto=webp&s=7d6263b8511ab51d5a169b1efa8088426ceebf85 the final script]] that continues the ending by having Hoffman call the police for emergency and avoiding obstacles on his way out of the meatpacking plant, while Strahm finds a hidden space with an empty box.

* There's a deleted scene from [[https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2F29c2dgq591kb1.png%3Fwidth%3D814%26format%3Dpng%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D7d6263b8511ab51d5a169b1efa8088426ceebf85 the final script]] that continues the ending by having Hoffman call the police for emergency and avoiding obstacles on his way out of the meatpacking plant, while Strahm finds a hidden space with an empty box.

* Originally, ''Saw IV'' was supposed to be a direct sequel to ''Saw III'', starting with Jeff and Chris (the man with whom Lynn had in an affair, who would have had to choose the decision of revenge or forgiveness this time around) dying in a blender trap whose idea [[RefittedForSequel was later reused]] for the Cycle Trap in ''Jigsaw''. Eric Matthews was going to be the main character, passing his test with the help of a poisoned Hoffman, who at the end would be revealed as a Jigsaw apprentice.

* Cecil Adams wasn't present in the movie's early scripts; instead, Jill's miscarriage was supposed to be caused from her being affected by collateral damage from a fight between her clients in her clinic, with no specific culprit.

* Rigg would have told Hoffman that he wouldn't go home until he found Eric Matthews, saying "I made that promise to Daniel." In the final film, Daniel (who wouldn't physically appear in any later movie in the series) is only referenced via a reused photo.

* Darren Lynn Bousman, the director, had a different ending and fate for Rigg in mind that was never shot: "What if he didn't open the door? Again, make the twist being something different. He actually didn't do it. He stops at the door, he breaks down crying, doesn't save him. He gets up and sees Agent Strahm with the gun. Strahm sees Lyriq with the gun, thinks he's Jigsaw and just shoots and kills Lyriq there."

* Brett, Gordon's lawyer from the first movie, originally took the role that Art has in the final version of the film; instead of Art's Spine Cutters, he was going to have a bracelet that would inject him with poison if he didn't follow Jigsaw's instructions. Jeff Ridenhour was going to return as another accomplice as well, taking the duty of watching over Strahm and Perez; he would have placed the explosive Billy in their car, and at the end kidnap a police captain named Chang.

''WhatCouldHaveBeen/SawIII'' | '''''Saw IV''''' | ''[[WhatCouldHaveBeen/Spiral2021 Spiral]]''-]]]]]

* Hoffman's trap has him hanging on a meat hook, with the pool of water collecting under him. The idea was that once time ran out, he would be released from the hook, and fall into the water, getting electrocuted.

* Jigsaw was setting up a TV in front of Cecil, and Cecil woke up early, so then John just played a remote that turned the TV on, and there was a doll message for Cecil, without the whole conversation that him and John actually had. Cecil's chair actually breaks, to John's surprise.

* Originally, ''Saw IV'' was supposed to be a direct sequel to ''Saw III'', starting with Jeff and Chris (the man with whom Lynn had in an affair, who would have had to choose the decision of revenge or forgiveness this time around) dying in a blender trap whose idea was later reused for the Cycle Trap in ''Jigsaw''. Eric Matthews was going to be the main character, passing his test with the help of a poisoned Hoffman, who at the end would be revealed as a Jigsaw apprentice.

* Athena Karkanis was originally auditioned to play Tracy Rigg.

* At one point when Eric jumps off the ice block, Art comes over to him and Eric swings his legs around Art's neck, trying to break it, and the fight for a little while.

* In the motel, with Ivan and the dog, was a drunk, homeless man sleeping on the floor known simply as the "vagrant". In a recorded scene from an earlier version of the script, when Jigsaw takes the cover off the glass coffin, the vagrant was going to be the victim in the trap, where he had to find a key among a bunch of glass shards in order to escape. The scene was deleted after the MPAA deemed it to be too violent, but you can find a screenshot of it by looking up the movie's cast on IMDB.

* Cecil Adams wasn't present in the movie's early scripts; instead, Jill's miscarriage was supposed to be caused from a fight between her clients in her clinic, with no specific culprit.

* Brett, Gordon's lawyer from the first movie, originally took the role that Art has in the final version of the film; instead of Art's Spine Cutters, he was going to have a bracelet that would inject him with poison if he didn't follow Jigsaw's instructions. Jeff Ridenhour was going to return as another accomplice as well, taking the duty of watching over Strahm and Perez; he would have placed the explosive Billy in their car, and at the end kidnapped a police captain named Chang.

* Brett, Gordon's lawyer from the first movie, originally took the role that Art had in the final version of the film; instead of Art's Spine Cutters, he was going to have a bracelet that would inject him with poison if he didn't follow Jigsaw's instructions. Jeff Ridenhour was going to return as another accomplice as well, taking the duty of watching over Strahm and Perez; he would have placed the explosive Billy in their car, and at the end kidnapped a police captain named Chang.

* Eric would have still thought Amanda is doing everything, since Art was initially walking around the room in a hood. Eric asks Hoffman if the "junkie bitch" got him too, and keeps yelling at the hooded Art as if he was Amanda, telling him insults like "You fucking bitch!"

* Rigg tells Hoffman that he wouldn't go home until he found Eric, saying "I made that promise to Daniel." Sadly, Daniel Matthews was only referenced via reused photo in the film.

* Eric still thinks Amanda is doing everything, because Art is initially walking around the room in a hood. Eric asks Hoffman if the "junkie bitch" got him too, and keeps yelling at the hooded Art as if it was Amanda. "You fucking bitch," etc.