Last year, the trades announced that May Calamawy - best-known for playing Layla El-Faouly/Scarlet Scarab in Marvel Studios' Moon Knight Disney+ series - had been cast in a key role in Gladiator II, but there's no sign of her in the theatrical cut of the movie.
Calamawy confirmed that her scenes did not make the final film during London Comic-Con this past weekend, but didn't reveal why it was decided that she wouldn't appear in Ridley Scott's sequel.
"[May Calamawy] says although she's sad her character's story didn't make it to [Gladiator II], it was one of the best experiences of her life. She loved working with Denzel Washington and said it was the coolest and she felt immediately comfortable with him."
Between these comments and some set photos featuring the actress, it's believed that Calamawy would have played Washington's character Macrinus' assistant.
There are several theories doing the rounds, one of which is (potentially) more controversial than the others. Calamawy is of Egyptian and Palestinian descent, and some have speculated that she may have been cut from the film to avoid any sort of backlash stemming from the current situation in Gaza.
We find it difficult to believe this would be the case - if for no other reason than Scott would likely tell any studio execs attempting to force his hand to "f*ck off" - so we'd be more inclined to go with the theory that Calamawy's character was cut for storyline reasons.
One Reddit post offers what might be the most compelling explanation.
At one point about halfway through the film, a character named Ravi played by Alexander Karim is introduced. This former gladiator turned doctor patches up Lucius' (Paul Mescal) wounds and the two form a close friendship.
The Redditor notes that "Ravi's scenes feel like very last-minute additions and the editing is off," suggesting that Karim's scenes may have been added during reshoots and that Calamawy's character was originally going to fulfil Ravi's role. If the idea was to introduce a new love-interest for Lucius, Scott may simply have felt that a romantic relationship would have distracted from his protagonist's primary goal of gaining vengeance for the death of his wife.
This is all pure speculation, of course, and we may only find out why Calamawy's scenes were removed from the sequel once Scott is ready to talk about it.
"From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people."