Marty McFly
![]() | This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. (May 2018) |
Marty McFly | |
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Back to the Future character | |
![]() Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly | |
First appearance | Back to the Future (1985) |
Last appearance | Back to the Future the Musical (2020) |
Created by | Robert Zemeckis Bob Gale |
Portrayed by | Michael J. Fox |
Voiced by |
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In-universe information | |
Full name | Martin Seamus McFly |
Nickname | Marty |
Occupation |
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Family | George McFly (father) Lorraine Baines McFly (mother) Dave McFly (brother) Linda McFly (sister) Biff Tannen (stepfather in 1985A) |
Spouse | Jennifer Parker McFly |
Children | Marty McFly Jr. (son) Marlene McFly (daughter) |
Relatives | Seamus McFly (great-great grandfather) Maggie McFly (great-great grandmother) William McFly (great-grandfather) |
Nationality | Irish American |
Instruments |
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Associated acts |
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Pseudonyms |
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Time travel | |
Original time | 1985 |
Years visited | 1885, 1955, 1985A, 2015 |
Martin Seamus "Marty" McFly is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Back to the Future franchise. He is portrayed by actor Michael J. Fox. McFly also appears in the animated series, where he was voiced by David Kaufman. In the videogame by Telltale Games, he is voiced by A. J. Locascio; in addition, Fox voiced McFly's future counterparts at the end of the game. In 2019, McFly was selected by Empire magazine as the 12th Greatest Movie Character of All Time.[1]
Biography[]
Marty McFly was born in Hill Valley, California to the McFlys, a family of Irish descent. Little is known about Marty's life prior to the first Back to the Future film, except for the fact that he set fire to the living-room rug when he was 8 years old (in a statement of Marty's to his future parents).[2] He met his friend Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown when he was around fourteen after hearing that Brown was a dangerous lunatic. Marty, being the “red-blooded American teenager” he was, wanted to go see what it was all about for himself. He snuck into Doc's lab and was fascinated by all his inventions. When Doc caught him, he was glad to have someone who liked his work and their friendship started there.[3]
In 1985, Marty plays guitar with his group The Pinheads[2] and likes listening to Huey Lewis and the News, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Van Halen. He is also a talented skateboarder and proves to be an excellent pistol shot, a skill he has honed by endlessly playing shooting games such as Wild Gunman at his local 7-Eleven.[4][5]
By 2015, Marty's life has spiraled out of control due to long-term pain from a hand injury that left him unable to play guitar. This injury occurs in 1985, after Marty accepts school enemy Douglas J. Needles' challenge to a road race after being labeled a chicken and crashes into a Rolls-Royce. In 1885, Biff Tannen's great-grandfather Buford goads Marty into a showdown, which Marty wins despite refusing to draw a gun against Buford. Once he returns to 1985, he remembers both this event and Seamus' advice and politely declines Needles' challenge, avoiding the collision that would have ruined his musical talents. This event shows newfound maturity as he often loses his temper when called a chicken. Over the years, Marty learned how to make his decisions on his own terms instead of being influenced by others, thereby changing his future for the better.
Family[]
Marty McFly is the youngest of three children of George McFly and Lorraine Baines-McFly. He has a brother, Dave McFly, and a sister, Linda McFly. In addition, he has an uncle Joey, who is serving a prison sentence in 1985 and been denied parole again.
Marty's secondary entourage consists of girlfriend Jennifer Parker and best friend Emmett Brown, a scientist whom Marty and Jennifer calls "Doc." There is an implication that Marty is ashamed of his family and does not spend much time at home, preferring to hang out with Doc, Jennifer, or the guys in his band, The Pinheads.[2] However, Marty's relationships with his family changed after he returns from 1955, with him no longer being alienated by his parents and his father working as a local college professor and a successful novelist in the alternate timeline he inadvertently created. Marty also meets his great-great paternal grandparents Seamus and Maggie, when he was stranded in 1885. He also meets their infant son William, Marty's great grandfather. Through his interaction with Seamus and Maggie, Marty discovers that Seamus had a brother named Martin, thus Marty's great-great granduncle.
By 2015, Marty has married his girlfriend Jennifer and has two children, Martin "Marty" Jr. and Marlene.
Aliases[]
Marty has had many aliases through the Back to the Future series, usually due to encountering his relatives at some point, such as Lorraine mistakenly thinking his name is "Calvin Klein", due to it being Marty's brand of underwear. In the first film, Marty uses the alias of "Darth Vader, an extraterrestrial from the Planet Vulcan" while wearing a radiation suit in an attempt to coerce George into asking Lorraine out to the dance. In Part III, Marty uses the name "Clint Eastwood" when asked by Maggie McFly and later by Buford Tannen. In Back to the Future the Game, he uses one of the three aliases; "Sonny Crockett", "Harry Callahan", and "Michael Corleone".
References[]
- ^ "Empire's The 100 Greatest Movie Characters". Empire Magazine. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Back to the Future (DVD). 1985.
- ^ "How Marty McFly and Doc Brown Became Friends". Mental Floss. 2011-08-16. Retrieved 2018-01-23.
- ^ Back to the Future Part II. 1989.
- ^ Back to the Future Part III. 1990.
External links[]
Media related to Marty McFly at Wikimedia Commons
- Marty McFly on IMDb
- Michael J. Fox
- Back to the Future (franchise)
- Fictional characters from California
- Film characters introduced in 1985
- Fictional guitarists
- Fictional rock musicians
- Teenage characters in film
- Time travelers