Jonathan Bailey fans, please sit down and hydrate. Entertainment Weekly has officially released photos and details from a deleted Wicked: For Good scene featuring a shirtless Bailey alongside an equally shirtless Ethan Slater, and suddenly the year has meaning again. Bailey, who plays the effortlessly magnetic Fiyero (eventually the Scarecrow), appears mid-flex in a sunlit montage that proves Oz was moments away from becoming a fully certified thirst destination. This is not AI, not fan-made, and not a drill. This was real, it was filmed, and it was cruelly taken from us.
Bowen Yang, Whistleblower of Oz
The existence of this now-infamous scene was first confirmed by Bowen Yang, who plays Pfannee and continues his side quest as Hollywood’s most reliable source of gay information leaks. During an interview on Just Trish with Trisha Paytas, Yang casually revealed that Wicked: For Good originally included a post-“Popular” montage designed to show the core group finally bonding as friends. That bonding, apparently, involved frolicking in fields, playing badminton, and two men deciding shirts were simply optional that day.
RELATED: ‘Wicked’ Has a Deleted Scene with Fiyero & Boq Shirtless!
How Bailey and Slater Ended Up Shirtless in Oz
In the deleted sequence, Fiyero works up a sweat chopping wood, because of course he does. Bailey’s Fiyero then rips off his shirt, fully aware that Glinda and Elphaba are watching nearby and enjoying the view. It’s a moment that feels less like acting and more like destiny. Not to be outdone, Boq clocks the attention immediately and decides that if Fiyero can go shirtless, so can he. Ethan Slater proceeds to tear off his own shirt, transforming what was meant to be a joke about insecurity into a surprising display of unexpected muscle.
Rejoicify! Jonathan Bailey and Ethan Slater show off their fit physiques in this deleted scene (the much-hyped friendship montage featuring Ariana Grande’s Glinda, Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba and Marissa Bode’s Nessa Rose) from ‘Wicked: For Good,’ available to rent or buy to watch at… pic.twitter.com/Dix0qRlBRC
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) December 26, 2025
When “Insecure” Doesn’t Work Because Everyone’s Hot
According to Yang, the scene ran into trouble because Slater was simply too jacked for the intended dynamic. Boq was supposed to feel insecure next to Fiyero’s effortless confidence, but the visual math wasn’t mathing. As Yang bluntly put it, “Wait… Ethan’s got a great body.” Suddenly, the audience wasn’t watching a contrast; they were watching a competition. And Oz, apparently, was not ready for two shirtless men standing side by side looking equally good.
RELATED: Did Ethan Slater Actually Dabble in Gay Porn, or Is the Internet Just Horny?
The Scene That Had Everything
Beyond the shirtlessness—which, let’s be honest, would have been enough—the montage reportedly carried major emotional weight. The group shares carefree moments in the fields, blissfully unaware that their time together is painfully limited. Boq picks up an axe, subtly foreshadowing his fate as the Tin Man. Fiyero shares a tender kiss with Glinda. Elphaba gifts Glinda the now-iconic black boots. It’s joy before heartbreak, friendship before fracture, and abs before plot devastation.
Why the Scene Was Cut (And Why We’re Still Mad)
Yang has said the sequence was ultimately cut for time, but also hinted that the tonal issue didn’t help. The insecurity storyline simply couldn’t survive two convincingly hot men without shirts. The filmmakers chose narrative clarity over collective gay happiness, and history will judge them accordingly.
@for4rmina #boq #fiyero #jonathanbailey #ethanslater #wicked #wickedmovie #fyp #foryou #for4rmina
Still, paparazzi shots from the London park shoot had already sparked rumors, and now Entertainment Weekly has confirmed what fans suspected all along: this scene was real, filmed, and glorious.
@jimcarreyfann42 we finally got this #arianagrande #wickedforgood #cynthiaerivo #jonathanbailey #NBCUniversal FAKE situation! TikTok don’t block this pls
A Wicked Gift to the Gays
Even in deletion, the scene has achieved legend status. Shirtless Bailey remains undefeated, Slater emerges as a plot twist no one saw coming, and Bowen Yang continues to serve as our trusted Oz correspondent. Wicked: For Good may have cut the moment, but thanks to Entertainment Weekly, it lives on—proof that sometimes the most powerful magic of all is a deleted scene with excellent lighting and zero shirts.
Oz may have taken away the footage, but the gays got the story. And honestly? That’s still pretty wicked.