A groundbreaking sci-fi classic, "Blade Runner" may not have been so confusing when it was first released in 1982. Famously the victim of studio interference, its original version was more of a straightforward cyberpunk thriller about a Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) whose job is to hunt down fugitive androids called replicants. Over the next two decades, though, expanded versions of the film, including a comprehensive director's cut, added elements that made the ending something else entirely, creating confusion for audiences that has lasted more than 30 years.
Beginning with one of those expanded editions, new footage was included that suggested that Deckard was far more than just a future law enforcer. Because in a newly added sequence, Deckard dreams about a unicorn, and when the character Gaff (Edward James Olmos) leaves an origami unicorn behind, it suggests that he's been able to access Deckard's artificially implanted memories — meaning that Deckard is actually replicant himself.
Over the years, the film's director, movie critics, and even its star Harrison Ford, have all had different takes on what the new ending really meant and whether Deckard was a human or not. The long-awaited sequel, "Blade Runner 2049" directed by Denis Villeneuve, glosses over the issue, leaving diehard fans to continue the debate on Deckard's identity. While Villeneuve prefers to leave the interpretation up to the viewer, the franchise's creator Ridley Scott answered the question himself in an interview with Digital Spy, saying bluntly, in no uncertain terms, "He is definitely a replicant."
