‘Sex and the City‘ almost gave Stanford Blatch a very different love story, and honestly, this one would have caught fans completely off guard.
Before Stanford married Anthony Marentino, the first movie apparently had another wedding in the works; one involving Marcus. Sean Palmer has now spilled what was originally planned, and getting cut from the film clearly still stings.
Sean Palmer Was Supposed to Return for a Surprise Wedding
Palmer dropped the unexpected behind-the-scenes detail while appearing on Kristin Davis’ Am I A Charlotte? podcast. According to him, Marcus was supposed to return for the first Sex and the City movie and marry Stanford. Even better, their wedding was meant to open the movie with a little fake-out for fans.
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“I was supposed to be in the film,” Palmer told Davis. “The film was supposed to start with Willie’s and my wedding. And you’re supposed to think it was Big and [Carrie].”
Basically, viewers would have walked into the movie expecting Carrie Bradshaw and Mr. Big at the altar, only to realize Stanford and Marcus were actually getting married. But the idea never made it to the screen. Palmer was working in London when he got the call telling him that Marcus had been cut.
“I think it was [the show’s executive producer John P.] Melfi, and he was like, ‘Look, we got a call from the studio and… they don’t want tertiary characters,’” he explained. “So I think in the film… I’m on Carrie’s guest list.”
Marcus and Stanford Never Really Got Their Closure in ‘Sex and the City’
The decision left one pretty big loose end. Marcus and Stanford started dating during Sex and the City’s fifth season and stayed together through the sixth and final season in 2004. Then Marcus basically disappeared from Stanford’s story, with viewers never seeing an actual breakup between them.
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Palmer admitted that the relationship “never got really resolved” onscreen, although he noted there was at least some “lore” around what happened. Still, finding out that Marcus could have returned for a full wedding storyline makes his sudden absence hit a little differently.
“Of course that was disappointing that it didn’t happen,” Palmer admitted. “It was very heartbreaking.” Davis was just as shocked by the studio’s decision and clearly wasn’t here for it. “Why did those New Line executives say that?” she exclaimed. “Darn it!“
Of course, ‘Sex and the City‘ eventually gave Stanford another husband. The 2010 sequel ‘Sex and the City 2‘ saw him marry Anthony, played by Mario Cantone. It was quite the switch considering Marcus and Stanford’s relationship never received a proper on-screen ending.
But Palmer has no hard feelings about Stanford ending up with Anthony. In fact, after watching the series himself, he felt it was “very obvious to me that Stanford would have ended up with Anthony.” Their constant back-and-forth apparently gave him the same vibe many fans picked up on.
So yes, Palmer may have lost his big ‘Sex and the City‘ wedding moment, but even Marcus himself could see the Stanford-and-Anthony endgame coming.
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