Warning: this article contains spoilers for Wicked and Wicked: For Good.

Wicked cut a scene that would have made a key storyline even more heartbreaking. Based on the Broadway musical of the same name, Wicked follows Elphaba as she attends Shiz University, gains new friends, and eventually achieves her goal of meeting the Wizard of Oz. Wicked‘s cast is led by Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, whose performances have both garnered Oscar nominations, but the entire cast shines in what was one of the most popular movies of 2024.

Wicked‘s box office success has far exceeded the expectations for the film, and it has also set high audience expectations for Wicked: For Good‘s November 2025 release. While the fun plot and great songs have aided in the movie’s success, the true heart of the movie is the incredible performances that bring new life to these iconic, larger-than-life characters. Wicked has several deleted scenes that help build context about the characters’ feelings, one of which centers on Nessarose and is particularly heartbreaking.

A Wicked Deleted Scene Confirmed Everyone But Nessarose Knows Boq Doesn’t Love Her

The Scene Sees Elphaba Gently Confront Boq About His True Feelings

One of Wicked‘s deleted scenes shows Elphaba approaching Boq at the Shiz University train station before making her journey to the Emerald City, where Elphaba asks him to tell Nessarose the truth about his feelings. While in the final version of the movie several characters, specifically Glinda and Fiyero, do know how Boq feels about Glinda, Elphaba never shows anything other than support for her sister and Boq. Thus, this deleted scene makes it explicitly clear that Elphaba, and likely other Shiz students as well, knows that Boq does not truly love Nessarose.

The scene as a whole is quite sensitive, as Elphaba clearly just wants the best for her sister and Boq does admit that he does not want to hurt Nessarose’s feelings. In response, Elphaba states “You’re going to end up hurting her anyway”, pointing to the fact that his admission will be worse the longer he waits. Additionally, the deleted scene does include Boq questioning Elphaba about why she demands he tell the truth when she can’t be honest about her feelings for Fiyero, which is a great moment.

Despite the tension between the two characters, the scene also feels quite tender and raw because it shows how easily they see through each other’s charades. It is also one of the few times when audiences actually see those characters interact on their own, despite being in the same friendship circle. So, it does make sense why Cynthia Erivo herself was upset that the scene was cut, but ultimately the movie is better off without it because of how it impacts later events in the story.

Elphaba & Boq’s Conversation Takes Away From Nessarose’s Own Realization

The Scene Spells It Out For Viewers A Bit Too Much

While viewers already know that Boq does not truly love Nessarose, having an entire scene that revolves around that point makes the point a bit too obvious, and it takes away from Wicked slowly building up to Nessarose’s ultimate realization that Boq loves Glinda. Other than confirming that Elphaba knows how Boq feels and wants to protect her sister, which is already pretty well established throughout the film, the scene really does not further the plot much anyway.

Instead, it is much more interesting to see Nessa slowly become more aware of how the other characters feel on her own, which is also important in setting up Nessarose’s story in Wicked: For Good. Even in the Ozdust Ballroom scene, Nessa asks Boq if he asked her out solely because he feels bad for her, pointing to her own suspicions about his motives. Though Boq tries to reᴀssure her at the moment, his other interactions with Glinda make his feelings even more obvious, and Nessa begins to catch on.

By the end of Wicked, Nessarose’s situation certainly becomes more complicated as she is seen back in Munchkinland where her father has a heart attack, making her the next governor. Even more significantly, in the second half of the Wicked musical, Nessarose refuses to let go of Boq despite him finally admitting that he never loved her. This is only hinted at in the ending of Wicked Part 1, but it will surely develop further in the upcoming movie, making the deleted scene unnecessary.

Wicked’s Deleted Scene Could Hurt Elphaba & Nessarose’s Relationship Too

Elphaba Knowing The Truth Could Hurt Her Sister’s Feelings

Beyond taking the emphasis away from Nessarose’s own realization about Boq’s feelings, the scene actually could have ended up playing a role in Nessa and Elphaba’s relationship as well. The Wicked deleted scene reveals that Elphaba knew that Boq loved Glinda the entire time but chose not to say anything to her sister about it. While the obvious reason for this is that she was trying to protect her sister’s feelings by talking to Boq first, Nessarose may not see the gesture that way. Instead, Elphaba’s approach could appear as her hiding something from her sister.

Wicked does not reveal whether Nessa has fully come to realize yet that everyone knows the truth except for her, but that journey definitely continues in the second half of the Broadway musical. Since the scene does not occur in the original musical, adding it could potentially add another complicated layer to the relationship between the two sisters that would require more explanation later. Nessa has already shown herself to be resentful of Elphaba’s presence most of the time, so knowing about Elphaba’s conversation with Boq could tip the scale.

How Wicked’s Deleted Scene Foreshadows Nessarose & Boq’s Wicked 2-Story

The Moment Hints At What Happens Next For The Characters In The Musical

Boq and Elphaba’s deleted scene also goes a little too far in foreshadowing what happens next for the characters. While Boq does express that he likes Nessarose as a friend, Elphaba tells him that it is not a good reason to keep lying to Nessa, and she’s absolutely right, as Boq later comes to find out. If Wicked: For Good’s plot mirrors that of the second half of the Broadway show, Boq will become akin to a prisoner in Nessa’s house. Thus, Elphaba’s seemingly innocent request actually has major ramifications later on.

Boq finally admits that he does not love Nessarose, but even then she cannot accept the truth and attempts to make him stay with her, ultimately turning Boq into the Tin Man. While the emotion of the deleted Elphaba and Boq scene does make it very gripping to watch, it was not as essential as many other scenes since the importance of the moment will be realized in a bigger way in Wicked: For Good. However, it is still entertaining to see the Wicked scenes that did not make the cut.