'Gladiator II': Denzel Washington's 'full-on' gay kiss was cut—but why
Denzel Washington, who stars in Ridley Scott's Gladiator II, has revealed that a major scene involving a same-sex "kiss of death" was cut from the final version of the film. Speaking to LGBTQ+ news outlet Gayety, Washington revealed that his character Macrinus—a wealthy Roman power player—shares a kiss with another man before killing him five minutes later. However, the scene didn't make it to the final cut.
'I think they got chicken': Washington on the cut scene
During the interview, when asked about how far homosexuality went in the Roman empire, Washington revealed his character's same-sex kiss. "I actually kissed a man in the film but they took it out, they cut it," he said, adding, "I think they got chicken." He further mentioned, "I kissed a guy full on the lips and I guess they weren't ready for that yet. I killed him about five minutes later. It's Gladiator. It's the kiss of death."
Another scene between Paul Mescal-Pedro Pascal was cut
A source confirmed to The New York Post that the scene was indeed filmed but clarified it wasn't meant to be sensual. This fits Washington's description of it as a "kiss of death." Notably, another intimate moment between Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal was also cut from Gladiator II. Mescal revealed his surprise about the cut, saying he had not told Scott about his forehead kiss plan in their scene.
Scott's response to the cut scenes
When Mescal asked Scott about his opinion on the forehead kiss, Scott responded positively. But he was unsure why it was removed during editing. He hinted at a possible inclusion in an extended release but later contradicted himself by stating there won't be a director's cut of Gladiator II. "No, I've earned the right to have my final cut," he told Collider. "I have the final cut anyway, so my cut that goes out usually is my fault."
Washington's character and performance in 'Gladiator II'
In Gladiator II, Washington's Macrinus is a Machiavellian power broker who uses Mescal's Lucius Verus—a vengeful warrior and heir to the empire—to distract the public from the emperor. Set two decades after the first movie, the film is rich with palace intrigue and Macrinus pulling all the strings. Despite the cut of the "kiss of death" scene, Washington's Macrinus has reportedly been described as "compellingly over-the-top."
