Wicked's Cynthia Erivo Was "Gutted" One Elphaba & Boq Deleted Scene Was Cut

Cynthia Erivo reveals how a quiet and honest moment between Elphaba and Ethan Slater's Boq is one of the moments from Wicked's big screen adaptation that she wishes had been included in the final cut. Adapting Gregory McGuire's reimagining of L. Frank Baum's classic fantasy world, where the Wicked Witch of the West's tragic past and rise to wickedness, Erivo portrays Elphaba in Wicked, the future Wicked Witch, while Slater portrays Boq Woodsman, a classmate of Elphaba's at Shiz University from Munchkinland.

With Wicked receiving its digital home release, Erivo, Grande-Butera and director Jon M. Chu sat down with Variety to discuss moments that were removed from the movie in the final edit. Both Grande-Butera and Erivo agreed that the moment where Elphaba and Boq discuss their true romantic feelings for others before her departure to the Emerald City was one of their favorite scenes that didn't make the cut, with Grande-Butera stating that it had her favorite line from the movie:

Ariana Grande-Butera: I love them all. They all have a cozy spot in my heart. I love the train station scene with Boq (Ethan Slater) and Elphaba (Erivo). That’s one of my favorite lines. The first time I read the script, that line Boq says, "Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought we were being honest," me and my acting coach, Nancy Banks, put so many hearts around because we were like, "That’s the best line in the whole movie." I think that scene has a lot of magnificent work in it, so I miss that.

Cynthia Erivo: I love that scene so much, so I was gutted when it was not there. And the scene in the forest (with Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero) right before I go and put the lion down… I was like, "Why?" That I missed.

Another of Erivo’s favorite scenes that she was also disappointed was cut from the film was the final conversation between Elphaba, her father (Andy Nymen), and Madame Morrible, but she is glad audiences will get the opportunity to see the incomplete scenes for themselves upon the movie's home release. Check out the rest of Erivo's explanation below:

Erivo: I loved that moment because it felt like people were holding her up. Those are the three scenes that I hate that they’re gone, but they’re there now, so you can see them.

What Elphaba & Boq's Deleted Conversation Means For Wicked

While both Elphaba's feelings for Fiyero and Boq's feelings for Galinda (Grande-Butera) were still touched upon within the final cut of the movie throughout the train station scene, the cut interaction between the two has emerged as a moment many viewers wished had made it into Wicked's theatrical release. The scene is a quiet break between a pair that share few interactions between one another that cuts deep into their struggles.

Though later moments enforce the purpose of the scene, it is clear that audiences would still have enjoyed the more explicit confirmation of Elphaba's feelings. Furthermore, with Boq's fate in Wicked: For Good's story, more interactions would have added greater weight to their latest developments together.

Our Thoughts On Wicked's Deleted Scenes

Audiences Are Eager For More Of Oz

Wicked's deleted scenes have a heavy emphasis on quieter character moments between its characters. From additional interactions between Elphaba and Galinda during "Popular" to quiet interactions between the two on the way to the Emerald City, many of the movie's slower moments didn't make it into the movie's lengthy runtime.

While Wicked's critical and box office success has shown that these scenes' removal did not impact the reception to the feature, it is clear that many viewers wished that the feature had included quieter moments among its cast, even potentially at the cost of a longer runtime. As such, the positive response more than proves that audiences are eager for more Wicked when the sequel releases in 2025.

Source: Variety