The Wicked movie almost gave us a magical moment of Jonathan Bailey sans shirt—and then snatched it away like Elphaba’s flying broomstick in a tornado. Bowen Yang spilled the tea on the Just Trish podcast, and honestly, we’re still grieving.
Apparently, there was a scene where Jonathan’s Fiyero was flexing his shirtless glory next to Ethan Slater’s Boq. And get this: Boq was supposed to have a body insecurity arc in response. “You were supposed to see Jonathan Bailey shirtless, absolutely shredded, and then Boq’s like, ‘Wait, I can be hot too!’ and starts thinking about taking his shirt off,” Bowen dished, before adding, “Oh, and surprise—Ethan’s ripped too. Plot twist!”
This golden nugget of cinematic joy would’ve nestled right between the songs “Popular” and “I’m Not That Girl,” a.k.a. when things in Oz are getting extra dramatic. Bowen described a montage where Fiyero, Galinda, Elphaba, Nessa, and Boq were just out there being besties—frolicking, picking flowers in a poppy field, and living their best life like a Wicked-themed Instagram reel. It was wholesome and hot.
But alas, the editors decided to play villain and cut the scene, citing “runtime” as the excuse. As if three hours of Ozian drama couldn’t handle a quick detour to Jonathan Bailey’s abs. Podcast host Trisha Paytas had the perfect reaction: “Who wouldn’t sit through a three-hour movie if that was included?” (Answer: Nobody. We’d bring popcorn and protein shakes.)
We’ve been robbed. And while we’re still hyped for the Wicked movie, this will forever be our “what could have been” moment.
