The Astrology Podcast: "Back to the Future and Mercury Retrograde"

Host: Chris Brennan
Date: July 18, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Chris Brennan commemorates the 40th anniversary of "Back to the Future" by exploring its behind-the-scenes production as an exemplary Mercury retrograde story. Chris unpacks how the turbulent process of casting and filming the movie, especially the dramatic recasting of Marty McFly, perfectly illustrates the astrological meanings and lessons of Mercury retrograde. He also draws broader connections to Venus retrograde, cyclical time, and the archetypal resonance of "Back to the Future" within astrology.

Key Discussion Points

1. Setting the Stage: Mercury Retrograde Themes

• Mercury Retrograde Associations: Delays, things not going as planned, revisiting the past, and repeating actions ([00:20]).
• "Back to the Future" as a Mercury Retrograde Parable: The entire making of the film—a story about time travel—mirrored Mercury’s retrograde archetype.

2. Genesis of "Back to the Future"

• Story Inspiration: Bob Gale, inspired by his father’s high school yearbook, wonders if he would have befriended his dad in high school ([02:00]).
• Script Development & Early Setbacks: Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis shopped the script for years but couldn’t get it produced, until Zemeckis had a hit with "Romancing the Stone" ([03:15]).

3. The Casting Saga — Mercury Shadow Strikes

• Desired Lead: The creators wanted Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, but were denied access to him due to "Family Ties" obligations ([04:00]).
• Fallbacks & Auditions: Other actors, including Ben Stiller, auditioned. Studio pushed for Eric Stoltz, based on his dramatic performance ([04:43]).
• Compromise: Agreement struck to recast and reshoot if Stoltz didn’t work out—a rare and risky bet ([05:35]).

4. Filming During Mercury Retrograde

• Key Timeline:

  • Filming began: November 26, 1984 – Mercury at 22° Sagittarius, in its pre-retrograde shadow ([06:09]).
  • Mercury retrograde station: December 4, 1984 at 0° Capricorn, conjunct Neptune.
  • Mercury’s pre-shadow: Entered 14° Sagittarius on Nov 16, just before filming ([07:25]).

• Astrological Caution: Electional astrologers advise against launching major projects under Mercury retrograde—delays and technical issues are likely ([08:20]).

5. The Stoltz Era: Misaligned Vision

• Acting Misfit: Eric Stoltz, playing Marty as a dramatic (rather than comedic) role, stayed in character as "Marty" at all times ([10:16]).
• Director’s Hindsight: Zemeckis later admitted he was "in denial" about how badly Stoltz’s approach fit the film ([11:02]).
• Critical Turning Point: Early film cuts revealed the casting mismatch ([12:09]).

6. Mercury Changes Course: Enter Michael J. Fox

• Mercury Direct Station: Around Christmas, Mercury stationed direct at 14° Sagittarius, conjunct Uranus—coincided with the push to cast Fox ([14:25]).
• Fox’s Big Break: Michael J. Fox read the script and agreed, even undertaking an insane schedule—"one or two hours of sleep a night" ([15:24]).
• Birth Chart Hit: The Mercury-Uranus conjunction at 14° Sagittarius hit Fox’s Midheaven—a moment of sudden career destiny ([16:20]).
  • "That Mercury-Uranus conjunction at 14 degrees of Sagittarius was exactly conjunct the degree of the midheaven in Michael J. Fox's chart, which is just stunningly incredible as a piece of astrological lore." – Chris Brennan ([16:54])

7. The Reshoot Ordeal and Resolution

• Gradual Transition: Even as Fox was secured, shooting with Stoltz continued; scenes were reframed to minimize later reshoots ([18:43]).
• Official Changeover:
  • Stoltz fired: January 10, 1985 ([20:35]).
  • Fox begins filming: January 15, 1985—right after Mercury leaves its post-retrograde shadow ([21:20]).
• Immediate Improvement: After the switch, "everything gels so much better," and the right comedic tone emerged ([22:14]).

8. Mercury Retrograde Themes in Retrospect

• Delays: Production was delayed by two months (original end: Feb 28, actual: April 20, 1985) ([25:40]).
  • "Delays and things not going according to plan is a major Mercury retrograde theme." – Chris Brennan
• Redo & Second Chances: The ultimate recast made the film stronger—the classic Mercury retrograde lesson that "the second time is better than the first" ([27:15]).
  • "Usually the second time you go back and do something, you have more experience. So the second time ends up being better..." – Chris Brennan ([27:45])
• Archetypal Alignment: Even Fox's tired, dazed state due to his schedule worked for the character’s on-screen disorientation ([24:08]).

9. Cycles, Venus Retrograde, and Archetypal Resonance

• Venus Retrograde Parallels:
  • Shooting finished and film released under Venus retrograde in Aries, mirroring a similar Venus retrograde during "Star Wars" completion in 1977 ([32:15]).
  • Both films feature signature "driving/flying really fast" motifs—an Aries trait ([34:52]).
    • "The whole core concept was that they’ve turned a DeLorean car into a time machine and that you have to make it go really fast..." – Chris Brennan
• Venus Retrograde & Repetition: Eric Stoltz gave a rare interview about his firing during a Venus retrograde in Aries eight years after the movie ([37:09]).
• Current Cycles: 2025 repeats the Venus and Mercury retrogrades of 1985—the year "Back to the Future" released ([39:09]).
  • Michael J. Fox awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom; he’s also publishing a memoir reflecting on that era during similar transits ([40:18]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mercury Retrograde’s Double-Edged Impact:
  "The delays are annoying, and it creates a lot of problems and a lot of hardships, but nonetheless, it still ends up becoming a success." ([26:52])

• On the DeLorean/Time Travel Motif:
  "You have to get it to go 88 miles an hour. And then as soon as you hit that speed, you’ll travel backwards or forwards in time." ([35:23])

• Summing Up the Mercury Retrograde Lesson:
  "Sometimes our initial plans actually need to fail. Sometimes that failure is actually part of our fate...sometimes we have to go back, we have to revise our choices, and we have to do it all over again in order to get things right." ([43:10])

• Fox’s Destiny Chart Hit:
  "...stunningly incredible as a piece of astrological lore." ([16:54])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:20 — Definition and themes of Mercury retrograde
• 03:15 — Early script history and struggles
• 06:09 — Production begins under Mercury pre-shadow
• 10:16 — Stoltz’s dramatic approach misaligned with the film
• 14:25 — Mercury direct station, Uranus conjunction, Fox’s casting
• 16:20 — Fox’s midheaven chart hit
• 20:35 — Eric Stoltz fired
• 21:20 — Michael J. Fox officially begins shooting
• 25:40 — Production delays and completion
• 27:15 — Main Mercury retrograde themes (redo, delays, revision)
• 32:15 — Venus retrograde patterns and "Star Wars" parallel
• 37:09 — Eric Stoltz revisits the story during Venus retrograde
• 40:18 — Michael J. Fox’s 2025 honors and memoir during repeated transits
• 43:10 — Main takeaway: Learning from failed plans and retrograde cycles

Final Takeaways

• The production of "Back to the Future" is a textbook example of Mercury retrograde at work: plans go awry, major do-overs occur, and ultimately, the end result is more successful for having endured those hardships and revisions.
• Astrological cycles (Mercury & Venus retrograde) create thematic echoes across time, both in the stories we tell and in the events that shape their creation.
• Sometimes fate intervenes through apparent setbacks, and revisiting or repeating actions leads to far better outcomes—a core lesson of Mercury retrograde.

If you'd like to share your own Mercury retrograde stories or see more astrology-meets-pop-culture analysis, let Chris know via The Astrology Podcast YouTube or Patreon pages.