The Evolution of Jack Shephard: How Lost's Original Plan Saved the Show

The Original Plan for Jack Shephard

The original plan for the Jack Shephard character in the hit ABC show Lost was wildly different from what ended up happening throughout the series' six seasons. The show-runners changing it saved Lost from failing during its first season.

Lost cast in season 1

The cast of Lost is one of the most celebrated in recent television history and helped make the show a global phenomenon. Jack was an essential part of that group, despite the controversial Lost finale that still has fans talking about it 14 years later.

The Jack character (played by Matthew Fox) was a spinal surgeon traveling from Australia to Los Angeles, bringing his father's body back after he passed away. Over the course of the pilot, after Oceanic 815 crashes on a mysterious island, Jack begins to emerge as a leader of the survivors, making decisions about food, water, and how to get the group rescued. Throughout the next six seasons, Jack's arc would see him struggle through the trials of being a leader and doctor of the island, but his time on the island was originally intended to be much shorter.

Lost Pilot Episode Jack and Charlie

Lost Initially Planned To Kill Jack In The Pilot Episode

Many of the original plans for Lost never happened, but perhaps what would have been two of the biggest changes happened to the Jack Shephard character. In the original draft of the pilot episode, Jack was supposed to be killed in an accident on the island during the trip that Jack, Kate, and Charlie took to find the cockpit of the plane. Instead, the trio finds the pilot of the plane has survived but is soon killed by the smoke monster that pulls him out of the plane's wreckage.

Jack's tenure on the show was supposed to be short-lived because the original plan was for Michael Keaton to play Jack in the pilot. Because Keaton couldn't commit to a seasons-long arc of a character, the writers planned for Jack to die and have the story focus on the other leads of the show. Once Matthew Fox came in to play the role of Jack, it was decided to make the character more of the long-term protagonist and on-again, off-again love interest to Evangeline Lilly's Kate.

Evangeline Lilly and Matthew Fox as Kate and Jack in the rain on the island on Lost

How Keeping Jack Around Changed The ABC Series For The Better

Jack Shephard was a great main character who brought a sense of leadership and morality to the island, and his relationships with other survivors made for some of the most compelling pieces of the show. Over time, his affection and love for Kate would cause them to ebb and flow during difficult events on the island. The confrontations between the 'man of faith' John Locke and 'man of science' Jack Shephard were some of the most interesting and thought-provoking parts of Lost.

It's also difficult to imagine how the other survivors would have fared without him. Jack made many decisions for the survivors and Jack was the character who found the caves that allowed the survivors to have fresh water and shelter. As the doctor on the island, he was able to treat many survivors with illness and injury, even assisting in removing his appendix. Jack also led the group that would eventually go back to the island to save their friends who were left behind.

All of these stories would have been significantly different without Jack Shephard on the show, and his inclusion allowed for a moral compass by which much of the actions of other survivors on the island could be measured. Throughout six seasons, Jack evolved from a character who looked for a logical explanation and conclusion to everything happening to them to someone who came to understand destiny and fate, and Jack made the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the island. His actions and character arc were often the engine that made many other parts of the show run.