What If John McClane Didn’t Have a Partner?

In Die Hard with a Vengeance, New York cop John McClane is thrown into a deadly game of cat and mouse when a mysterious terrorist named Simon Gruber threatens the city with bombs. This time, McClane isn’t alone—he teams up with a wisecracking civilian, Zeus Carver, to solve Simon’s puzzles and stop the chaos before it’s too late.

A fan theory suggests that Simon Gruber’s true motive wasn’t just about money or revenge—it was about testing McClane. What if he saw McClane as the ultimate challenge, pushing him to his limits and beyond? Maybe Simon knew that McClane’s unpredictable nature made him the perfect adversary.

A key moment in the film is when McClane has to choose between saving a group of people or following Simon’s demands. McClane’s decision to prioritize saving lives over following the terrorist’s game proves that he’s not just a tough cop; he’s someone who values humanity above all.

Imagine an alternate ending where McClane faces the ultimate moral dilemma, forced to make an even harder choice. Or, a prequel could explore how Simon Gruber became the villain he is—his journey from a normal man to a mastermind.