Actor Denzel Washington is one of the new stars in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, the long-awaited sequel to his hit film Gladiator. While fans wait for Gladiator II to hit theaters, Denzel Washington has given a surprising bit of information, revealing that a gay kiss scene was cut from the film.
Washington revealed the existence of this cut scene while speaking with Gayety. According to the actor, he believes that the scene was removed because “they got chicken.” The gay kiss scene was between Denzel Washington and another male actor.
Here’s what he had to say about the moment:
“I actually kissed a man in the film but they took it out, they cut it, I think they got chicken,” he said. “I kissed a guy full on the lips and I guess they weren’t ready for that yet.”
As such, it’s unknown why exactly the scene was cut from the film. However, there’s always the possibility that Washington is correct, and that the studio didn’t want the film to be released with his gay kiss scene intact. Perhaps we’ll have a clearer idea once the complete film is released.
For what it’s worth, however, Washington does reveal what happens between his character and the man he kisses:
“I killed him about 5 minutes later,” he reveals. “It’s Gladiator. It’s the kiss of death.”
Perhaps the studio didn’t process the “kiss of death” aspect and felt it added confusion to have a potentially tender moment that turns bloody soon after. Again, we’ll have to see how the full film plays out and what exactly goes on between Denzel Washington‘s character and the other man he kisses and apparently kills a few minutes later.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional Gladiator 2 news as we have it. Fans can see Gladiator II when the film hits theaters on November 22, 2024.