Deleted Material

This page lists all of the deleted material related to American Gods: deleted scenes, cut storylines, scrapped concepts and characters...

Novel[]

The original version of the text included a scene where Shadow, hanging on the World Tree, met Jesus, but Neil Gaiman decided to remove it because it was deemed "wrong and distracting" at this point in the story, and he couldn't find anywhere else to place it. However the scene was kept in several later editions - either placed as an appendix at the end of the book, or replaced in its original chapter (which is something Neil Gaiman has stated to not mind, as he loves this section of the book). ^[1]
The Annotated Edition of American Gods includes notes taken from Neil Gaiman's diary around spring 2000. These notes present the structure of Gaiman's early draft of the novel:
- The meeting at the House on the Rock was supposed to happen soon after Shadow learned of Laura's resurrection. Of the old gods present there ("around ten people"), Neil Gaiman was only sure of three: Czernobog Anansi, and Easter. Odin would have been really hurt that so little people came at the meeting since he had been "going up and down the land making sure the gods are okay, pulling strings, getting team work, doing all he can...". Later he would have been blamed by the other gods for the spooks's attack at the end of the meeting.
- Low-Key was supposed to be met by Shadow soon after the House on the Rock meeting, and was supposed to be working for both sides of the divine war instead of serving exclusively the new gods as in the finished novel. Loki would have appeared during Shadow's interrogation by the spooks, telling him that "they're going to ruin him".
- Neil Gaiman wanted to explore a group of "retired circus people" in Florida.
- Shadow's life story was supposed to be told after this trip to Florida, either by Shadow himself (telling his story to someone), either by the narrator.
- Easter would have taken a part of the role given to Bast in the final novel. After Shadow's "vigil and ordeal", he would have made love to Easter (something described as "strange and beautiful, making love to fertility incarnate"). Neil Gaiman mentions in his note that the opposition between Laura and Easter would have been one of "Life vs Death".
- Neil Gaiman already planned to tie in American Gods to Neverwhere, notably by making Mr. Alice appear (however he would only appear later in Monarch of the Glen).
- Neil Gaiman considered having Shadow "going on trial for America". He also wondered if Mr. Wednesday was going to hunt after "plot coupons" or simply "round people up for war". Neil Gaiman had identified the main characters as Odin, Czernobog, Nancy, Easter and Shadow, and he wondered if he should send the group "somewhere" for a travel, or rather have Shadow do one journey with each of them.
- Neil Gaiman considered splitting the novel into three books. The first one ending after Laura killed the spooks guarding Shadow, the second book as the old and new gods are about to meet each other for the final battle, while the third one (titled "The Tree and the Storm") would have dealt with Shadow's act as a vigil, his death and his exploration of the underworld.
- A prophecy would have been made by either Mad Sweeney or Mr. Ibis, maybe by Bast, that Shadow would die three times. His first death would have been on the tree while standing as a vigil, his second in the frozen lake.
- During his time on the world-tree, the question of Shadow's nature as a shadow would have been explored. "Whose shadow is he? His own? Or Odin's?".

Series / Season 1[]

The first season was originally supposed to be ten episodes long however, upon first screening, Bryan Fuller and Michael Green ended up displeased with episodes 3 and 4, due to "set problems" and events happening "too soon" to Shadow, changing the "perspective" of the show. They trimmed down what they didn't like in the two episodes and fused them into one episode, Head Full of Snow, making the season nine episodes long. They also cut down the final and ninth episode after realizing the season would end better with the cliffhanger they had prepared for episode 8, supposed to take place at the House on the Rock (see below). ^[2]
The first season was supposed to end with an episode centered around the events of The House on the Rock. However, due to Bryan Fuller and Michael Green going over budget, the House on the Rock scenes were not shot and rather kept for the first episode of season 2. The confrontation at Easter's house in Come to Jesus was written to replace the House on the Rock sequence. ^[3] ^[4]
The role of Mr. Wednesday was originally considered to be played by Nicolas Cage, however he turned down the role. It was later given to Ian McShane, who was originally offered the role of Czernobog, but turned it down because he was much more interested in the role of Mr. Wednesday.^[5]
Several women were auditioned for the role of Technical Boy, indicating that Fuller and Green had planned for the Technical Boy to possibly be female in the show.
Bryan Fuller revealed in an interview with TVLine that a storyline and a character were cut from season one for "scope and production issues". This storyline and character were supposed to introduce the show-version of the Intangibles, the modern gods of the stock market in the novel. Bryan Fuller expressed no regret over this decision, explaining that it was the best for the show. ^[6] Jim Carson released later on his website several concept arts he did for the first season of the television series, two of which were for this cut storyline. ^[7] These concept arts reveal that the sequence would have involved Technical Boy, visiting the office of an unknown man, an office dominating the Wall Street trading floor. In said trading floor can be seen the Intangibles, elderly or old-fashioned translucid and immaterial men glowing of different colors. Note on the office's desk the presence of an old model Stock Ticker. (see gallery)
Gillian Anderson revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that, for the role of Media, the team considered using more male pop icons, such as Michael Jackson and Prince. ^[8] Bryan Fuller later mentioned in an interview with IndieWire that Media taking the identity of Prince was an idea considered for the scenes at Easter's mansion. It was later replaced by Media taking the shape of Hannah Brown, as played by Judy Garland. ^[9]
In an interview with The A.V. Club, Neil Gaiman revealed that Bryan Fuller and Michael Green had planned for the episode "The Orchard of Bones" that Shadow would accept Audrey's proposition of having a blowjob on the grave of his wife. They justified it by their interpretation of Shadow as lonely and sexually frustrated after his time in prison. Neil Gaiman strongly opposed himself to this idea, explaining how out-of-character it would be for Shadow to act in such a way. ^[10]
Bryan Fuller revealed a picture of a deleted scene for the episode Come to Jesus. This scene would have occured during the flashback to Bilquis' life in America. A rabbit, sent by Easter, would have appeared near her and "pooped" money and jelly beans to help the poor and homeless goddess. ^[11]

Series / Season 2[]

Michael Green and Bryan Fuller's original season[]

Michael Green and Bryan Fuller planned for season 2 to be ten episodes long. ^[12]
Michael Green and Bryan Fuller hoped that the Intangibles-based characters supposed to appear in season 1 would have a chance to appear in season 2. ^[13]
Bryan Fuller revealed in a tweet he made that it was planned for Media to appear in season two as both Mr. Rogers (from Mister Roger's Neighborhood) and Princess Leia (from the Star Wars franchise). ^[14]
Bryan Fuller mentionned in a Tweet that Salim would find back the Jinn in season 2, and that it would be a "beautiful story". ^[15].
Bryan Fuller mentionned that Bilquis would "reassert her Queen" in season 2 ^[16]. He also mentionned that she would have a fate different from the one of the novel. ^[17].
Bryan Fuller promised a "lot more" of Mr. Jacquel and Mr. Ibis for season 2. ^[18].
Bryan Fuller revealed in a tweet that aliens, the "starmen waiting in the sky" Media alluded to in Lemon Scented You, would be seen in season 2. ^[19]
While season 1 presented Shadow as a "passenger" reacting to the world around him, Fuller and Green intended season 2 to show him "actived", as it would explore his newly-found belief and the resulting new perspectives and dynamics. On a similar note, while season 1 was about "the beginning of faith" and "the slow bending of Shadow's knee", season 2 was intended to be about "what it means to be a believer and to give yourself to a higher power - how far you are willing to go and how far it can take you". ^[20]
Fuller and Green intended Audrey to have much more screen time in season 2. ^[21]

Material deleted from the current season[]

The "Teaser Trailer" for season 2 reveals several deleted scenes filmed for The Greatest Story Ever Told, all involving the New Gods. One shot shows New Media in a dark building blowing a kiss to someone (probably a reference to how Media blows a kiss to Technical Boy in Lemon Scented You). A second shot reveals Technical Boy, reduced to a small size, in a grey open cube, with in front of him a giant New Media taking pity on him. A final shot shows Technical Boy entering a mansion filled with teenagers vaping, smoking and kissing each other. He is seen followed by a man wearing a coat - the costume clearly indicates that it is Mr. World. ^[22]
Several looks, makeups and hairdos were tested and prepared for New Media, some of them not making the cut (see gallery). They were posted on Instagram afterward by Kahyun Kim and Olga Kirnos.
Colin Penman posted on his Instagram account a video and a picture of Bruce Langley in a fat suit and makeup, revealing that a sequence showing a past incarnation of Technical Boy (based on his appearance in the novel) was cut from an episode. Colin Penman expressed regret over this scene being cut, due to his fondness for Bruce Langley's prosthetics. ^[23] Said cut scene also appears in the promotional video "American Gods Season 2 Cast and Crew" ^[24]. In it we get to see the set on which Bruce Langley would have played: a cubic grey set (maybe evoking the screen of a television, of a computer or of a Game Boy, and very reminiscent of the cube from the "small Technical Boy" scene mentionned above) with a chair surrounded by snacks and video game consoles from the 1990s and 1980s (NES consoles, Super NES consoles, some Playstation One consoles, an Atari 2600 and an Atari 5200). On the back of the set a giant screen has the game "Space Invaders" being played. We also got to see the full clothing of this previous incarnation: black and blue horizontal-stripped polo shirt, gray zip-up hoodie, black stretch pants/jogging pants, and white and blue 90s shoes. Due to the omnipresence of video games (and the visual insistance on the Game Boy played by the CEO in The Greatest Story Ever Told), as well as the habit of naming the previous incarnations of Technical Boy by their representative technology, this character's name may have been "Game Boy" or "Video Game Boy". When asked about this scene during the release of season three, Bruce Langley explained that the scene was still in the "archives" somewhere and that he had some material from the shooting, but could not say or release anything until the show was over, in case the material was reused. He however promised to release more information once the American Gods series was done. ^[25]
In an interview, when talking about Technical Boy's "past incarnations", Neil Gaiman mentions characters such as "Telegraph Boy", "Telephone Boy" and "Television Boy". ^[26] Given that Telephone Boy appeared in season 2, and that there was apparently another past incarnation of Technical Boy set to appear (see above), it is possible that Telegraph Boy and Television Boy may have been considered to appear in season 2.
A storyboard for The Ways of the Dead released on Instagram revealed what seems to be a deleted scene (see gallery): the ghost of "Froggy" James, confronted in the Egyptian afterlife by a figure that looks like Mr. Nancy's divine form, as seen in House on the Rock. The scene apparently ends with this figure taking a sword and cutting in two the spike on which Froggy's head rests. ^[27]