Picture this: You're blasting through time in a DeLorean, only to discover that your signature guitar riff in a beloved movie has a glaring timeline twist that could unravel the fabric of the story itself. That's the thrilling yet puzzling debate surrounding Back to the Future's Marty McFly, and it's kept fans arguing for decades!
The legendary scene where Marty McFly shreds on stage at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance is packed with those mind-bending time-travel quirks that Back to the Future enthusiasts have dissected endlessly. But the biggest head-scratcher centers on the guitar Marty uses to perform "Earth Angel" and "Johnny B. Goode." He picks up Marvin Berry's striking Cherry Red Gibson ES-345 for the gig. While casual viewers might just enjoy the energy of the moment, die-hard fans and guitar experts often spot a historical hiccup: in reality, the Gibson ES-345 wasn't introduced until 1958—three whole years after the movie's 1955 setting.
But here's where it gets controversial... Fans have speculated for years whether Marty should have gone with the Gibson ES-350T instead, a model that hit the market in 1955 and was famously wielded by Chuck Berry himself. Now, in his fresh memoir titled Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum, Michael J. Fox himself dives into this so-called "temporal inconsistency," as he calls it. Reporting from Entertainment Weekly highlights how Fox acknowledges the gripe from guitar buffs and movie obsessives who meticulously track every detail and timeline oddity in the film.
He notes that while it's a point that might fly over most people's heads, it's a big deal for the dedicated "Future heads" who obsess over the story's intricacies. And get this: Fox reveals that the guitar's appearance wasn't some clever hidden reference or Easter egg. The movie's art team simply selected the ES-345 because it mimicked the famous wine-red guitar that Chuck Berry famously strutted across stages worldwide with his signature duckwalk.
Fox himself seems completely chill about the whole timeline tangle, brushing it off with enthusiasm. He points out that both the 1955 and 1958 versions of Gibson's electric guitars are exquisite, rare instruments. For him, it doesn't matter which one he "played" on screen; he's always adored the Gibson E series for their bold, commanding presence despite being hollow-bodied and surprisingly light. Even as a shorter guy, Fox could swing and strum them effortlessly, making them "sing" with ease.
And this is the part most people miss... Speaking of time-travel hijinks, if you've stuck around this far, you're likely hooked on Back to the Future's wild paradoxes (hey, even Ant-Man fans get it!). You might already be familiar with the "bootstrap paradox" woven into that same guitar scene. To break it down simply for newcomers: Marty performs "Johnny B. Goode" in 1955, which sparks Marvin Berry—Chuck's cousin—to phone Chuck and play the tune, inspiring Chuck to create and release the song in 1958. Then, Marty (having heard it later) learns to play it, hops in the DeLorean to go back to 1955, and essentially introduces the song to Chuck himself in that iconic moment. It's a loop where the song's origin becomes impossible to pinpoint—who created it first? Don't sweat it if your brain's doing somersaults; it's just a playful nod to time travel crafted by directors Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, adding a layer of fun confusion to the plot.
Fast-forward to real life: In June, Fox teamed up with Gibson Guitars to launch a mission to track down the missing ES-345 from the film, which vanished after production. In a YouTube video, Fox appealed to fans for help: "We're on the hunt for the guitar I used in Back to the Future. It's probably wandering lost in the space-time continuum or gathering dust in some storage unit." It's a charming quest that ties back to the movie's themes.
On a personal note, Fox is making a triumphant comeback to acting after stepping away five years ago. He'll star in a supporting role on the popular Apple TV+ series Shrinking, a dramedy that's his first project since 2020's The Good Fight. This part holds special meaning because his character deals with Parkinson's disease—just like Fox has since his 1991 diagnosis. He was drawn to the show after learning that lead actor Harrison Ford's character also faces a Parkinson's diagnosis in the storyline.
Now, let's stir the pot a bit: Is this guitar gaffe a unforgivable slip-up that shatters the movie's illusion, or just a minor oversight that adds to its charm? And what about the bootstrap paradox—does it cleverly highlight the absurdities of time travel, or does it confuse more than entertain? Some might argue that nitpicking timelines misses the heart of the story, while others see it as a flaw in an otherwise perfect film. What do you think—does this inconsistency bother you, or do you love how it sparks these debates? Share your opinions in the comments, and let's discuss!
Image credit: Gibson TV / YouTube.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
