Dean DeBlois emphasized the importance of editing, stating, "Everything's sort of long-winded at first, and then you squeeze and you squeeze, and it eventually starts to paint targets on areas of the movie where you really feel the breaks being hit."
"The promise [scene] is a really hard one to cut, where Elphaba says, 'I will never leave you behind again,' because [Grande and Elphaba] are doing masterful work in that scene... Her insecurities, her real need to be friends and be there for Elphaba."
"You were supposed to see Jonathan Bailey in his full shirtless glory, flexing, and then Boq being insecure and wanting to look hot too, like take his shirt off. But then it's like, Oh, wait, Ethan's got a great body." Bowen Yang highlights the comedic intentions behind the cut scene, emphasizing the playful dynamics between the characters and their evolving relationships in the montage.
