‘They tried to erase her’: Gladiator II slammed for cutting Egyptian-Palestinian actor May Calamawy’s scenes

“I was not the best because I killed quickly. I was the best because the crowd loved me. Win the crowd and you will win your freedom,” said Oliver Reed as Proximo in Gladiator (2000).

If only Ridley Scott remembered this very important lesson from Gladiator I, his sequel of the hit movie would not be in hot water for ‘erasing’ an Egyptian-Palestinian cast member’s scenes at a time when Palestinian voices are being silenced all over the world.

The highly anticipated Gladiator II has been embroiled in controversy as fans of May Calamawy — Pedro Pascal’s love interest in the film — express outrage over her drastically reduced screen presence with zero dialogue. Despite being cast in a pivotal role following a rigorous audition process, Calamawy is barely visible in the final cut of the film.

Calamawy, widely praised for her breakout role as Layla El-Faouly and Scarlet Scarab in Marvel’s Moon Knight, was initially announced as a significant addition to the Gladiator II cast in May last year. Reports described her character as integral to the story, leading many to question why her role was effectively erased.

On X, fans vented their frustration, calling out both Scott and the film’s PR team for ignoring her. Her presence was only highlighted by Pascal, who shared selfies with Calamawy from the set on his Instagram. The pictures prompted discussions about her being sidelined completely in the film and promotions.

A fan commented, “I’m glad he posted this because every other actor in the movie has been pretending for the whole press run that there wasn’t another cast member who was supposed to have a main role but had all her scenes cut from the movie… like they all pretend she doesn’t exist.”

Another wrote, “Gladiator II’s real plot twist: May was in it the whole time.”

Users commented on the “deafening silence” from the rest of the cast members. “The rest of them acting like ghosts are trending or something,” a netizen wrote. “The silence was deafening. I’m glad someone finally acknowledged the elephant in the room,” another added.

Many also commended Pascal for making Calamawy’s presence known. “They tried to erase her but Pedro said, ‘Not on my watch.’” Pascal has previously shone the spotlight on Israel’s onslaught in Gaza. He recently also shared a video highlighting “one year of devastating news updates on Gaza.”

A fan lauded the star for “casually dismantling a movie’s PR strategy with a selfie.” Another called the move the “ultimate clapback to the PR team.”

Some also called out Ridley Scott for the situation. “F*** the actors, the question should be at Scott,” a user wrote.

The decision to cut Calamawy’s scenes has drawn scrutiny for its possible political motivations, as the actor has been vocal about her support for Palestine. One user instantly connected the dots: “Immediately guesses why [there was] no mention of Calamawy. Googles. Immediately correct.” They attached a screenshot of the Google search that referred to Calamawy as an Egyptian-Palestinian actor.

“I’m boycotting the movie because of her scenes being cut out. Not because I know her, not because she is Palestinian — only because it’s wrong. Being Zionist is wrong, you get that Hollywood,” another wrote.

Fans also mourned what could have been a career-defining moment for Calamawy. One lamented: “This really sucks. I did some projects and that’s always a big fear. Everyone fears this and it hurts. You do all this work, you’re on set, and then you get cut. She’s in a movie with Denzel Washington, and she gets cut. WOW! Can’t imagine what she’s going through.”

Another speculated about the practical challenges of cutting such a significant role: “Having your scenes cut is a horrible experience. How can she be cut though, she’d be in many important scenes. They’d have to reshoot some scenes to make it all work.”

Amid the backlash, some users defended the move as a creative choice. “I feel like y’all are overreacting she’s not the first actress to be cut from a movie and till proven otherwise, may have been for the good of the movie. It sucks but just a few years it happen to Jessica Chastain and she dodged a bullet [because] the movie sucked,” a user noted.

“I feel bad for her, but this is a very common occurrence in movies when they’re editing the final product for theatrical release. Ideas and scenes that seemed good at the start may not always work by the end,” another chimed in.

The controversy has cast a shadow over the film’s release, with many fans calling for Scott to address the decision publicly. As one fan succinctly put it: “Ridley Scott has to answer for this.”