Scarface Has A Sequel You Never Heard Of - And Tony Montana Is Still Alive
Even those who haven't watched the 1983 crime drama "Scarface" are likely familiar with the film's ending. Drug lord Antonio "Tony" Montana (Al Pacino), goes on a rampage in his mansion after it's invaded by Bolivian cocaine kingpin Alejandro Sosa's (Paul Shenar) gun-toting henchmen. With nothing to lose at this point, Tony fearlessly — and recklessly — defends himself against Sosa's men, asks them to "say hello to [his] little friend," and meets his end when one of the henchmen shoots him in the back.
The scene of a very dead Tony Montana face down in his indoor swimming pool, his feet next to a statue that displays the words "The World is Yours," marks the definitive end to an iconic movie. But while most fans may have heard of David Ayer's unsuccessful "Scarface" reboot attempt, it's a rather obscure fact that the film got a comic book sequel where Tony is actually alive after the bloody attack on his estate.
Debuting a good 23 years after the movie that inspired it, the five-issue IDW Publishing miniseries "Scarface: Scarred for Life" ran from December 2006 to April 2007 and was written by John Layman and illustrated by Dave Crosland. Here, it's revealed that Tony survived the shootout with Sosa's men, albeit barely. Soon after a pair of DEA agents force him to stay in a tiny, dingy apartment for his protection, he finds out that his estranged wife, Elvira (played in the film by Michelle Pfeiffer), wants nothing to do with him. No surprises there, but the big shocker is that she's now married to Sosa.
That's what Tony has to deal with as he seeks to rebuild his criminal empire. But does he succeed now that the odds are stacked against him more than ever?
The sequel series ends on an ambiguous note
As the events of "Scarface: Scarred for Life" progress, readers get to see Tony Montana return to criminal prominence as he outwits various underworld rivals as well as the two DEA agents pursuing him. Eventually, Elvira realizes she still has feelings for Tony, and while he's in Bolivia, she helps him escape Sosa, who remains an ever-present thorn in his side. But Tony remains determined to defeat Sosa once and for all, and this leads to a standoff with the feds, including one of the DEA agents who had been pursuing him and had previously been presumed dead.
The ending of "Scarred for Life" sees Elvira, with a gun pointed at Tony, persuading her ex-husband to surrender for his own good. Tony responds by pointing his gun at Elvira, while the DEA agent aims his sniper rifle at the defiant drug lord. After Tony declares that nobody can stop him, a gunshot is fired, and it's left ambiguous as to who shot who.
That all said, it bears mentioning that the events of "Scarred for Life" are considered non-canon. It also takes on a more darkly humorous tone than the movie, as writer John Layman admitted in an official press release from IDW Publishing (via Comic Vine). "[Y]ou're going to see some very creative murders— and if you have any sort of decency in your soul, you're going to feel bad for laughing as hard as you do when you read this stuff," he teased.
Tony's on-screen death may have dashed all hopes for a proper "Scarface" film sequel, but if you're looking for an interesting alternate-history take on one of cinema's most notorious evildoers, "Scarred for Life" is certainly worth checking out.