Now You See Me 3 Director Reveals If A Shocking Death Was Real

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The following contains spoilers for Now You See Me: Now You Don’t

Okay, so I just finished watching Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, and wow, this one really threw me for a loop. As the third film in the series, it definitely delivers on the twists and turns we’ve come to expect, but be warned – there’s a major gut punch in there. I wasn’t prepared for the loss of a character I’d really grown attached to, and honestly, it hit the audience hard. It’s a thrilling ride, but bring tissues!

In Now You See Me 3, Thaddeus, played by Morgan Freeman, tragically died. Having been involved in the story from the start as a magician and expert at exposing illusions, his character was killed during a police raid on The Eye’s property, bringing his time with the series to an end.

Even though audiences witnessed Thaddeus’s apparent death, many still held out hope he might return. The films heavily feature trickery and illusions, leading some viewers to believe his death was a deception and that he could reappear later on.

Ruben Fleischer, the director of Now You See Me 3, has confirmed a character’s death in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, disappointing fans who hoped it was a trick. While he thought about making the death an illusion, he ultimately decided against it and confirmed the character truly died.

We considered giving the villain a softer ending – perhaps showing him happily playing with his grandchildren and doing a magic trick. However, we decided against it. We wanted Veronika to remain truly evil, and Morgan thought that a sympathetic ending would weaken that impact. I trusted his judgment, so I agreed with his decision.

Fleischer explained the choice to kill off Freeman’s character, saying he wanted the movie to deeply affect both the people in the story and the audience watching it. He believed making the death permanent would create higher stakes and a more powerful emotional response. The director also admitted the death would be a shocking and difficult moment for viewers.

It was a difficult decision, but killing off the character felt necessary to create genuine tension in the film. Morgan Freeman is so well-liked, so having Veronika Vandenberg eliminate him carries a lot of impact. The scene between Woody and Rosamund in jail – where he’s visibly distraught and confronts her – is one of the most intense and dramatic moments in the movie, and it only happened because we chose to kill Thaddeus, which I know is tough for viewers to accept.

Fleischer revealed that Freeman agreed with his choice. The actor apparently thought it was fitting for his character, Thaddeus, to die in Now You See Me 3.

People don’t typically expect serious drama or death in a Now You See Me film. It was difficult, but Morgan fully supported the decision and brought a lot of skill to the role. I was actually moved to tears watching his performance – it was incredibly emotional. He’s become like family to all of us, so seeing him deliver that scene was really powerful.

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t is now in theaters.

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2025-11-16 01:38