Blade Runner 2049 Blu-ray Has No Deleted Scenes, But Does It Really Need Them?

Now that Blade Runner 2049 is available on Blu-ray and digital in the US (it launches on February 5 in the UK), fans of the epic sci-fi film are getting to relive it again at home. Beyond that, some are getting to watch a number of special features, from behind-the-scenes looks at casting the film and recreating the world of the first movie, to viewing multiple shorts used as prologues to 2049.

There are some things those popping the Blu-ray into their player aren't seeing, though. For one, the movie has no director's commentary. While a director's commentary was once practically standard on DVD movie releases, they aren't quite as common anymore. Still, there are no doubt some that were hoping director Denis Villeneuve would give more insight into his artistic vision and the final film.

More notable, however, is the complete lack of deleted scenes accompanying the home release of Blade Runner 2049. It's known that deleted scenes from the movie do exist. According to Collider, the first cut of the film ran almost four hours. That same interview also mentions one deleted scene in particular that would have been exciting to see.

The moment features K (Ryan Gosling) and Joi (Ana de Armas) as they travel to Las Vegas. "It was one of those rare occasions when it was raining on the hills outside of Las Vegas, God's contribution to Blade Runner 2049," editor Joe Walker tells Collider. "But it just felt more impactful to go straight to the pilot fish's view of this strange landscape and hear K's distorted commands, to skip ahead of the audience for a while."

In the end, though, does this movie actually need deleted scenes? As it stands, 2049 runs nearly three hours. That length was one of the criticisms levied against the film upon release. Is anyone actually dying to see even more scenes?

Besides, Villeneuve himself doesn't believe anything great was lost in the scenes cut. "When I cut something, it's dead," he explains to ScreenCrush. "It means it was not good enough. Even if sometimes I'm cutting my favorite shots, I still strongly think that when it’s cut on the floor of the editing room it should not go back to see the light of day again."

Do you agree with Villeneuve? Are you happy that there are no deleted scenes or are you hoping they surface at some point in the future? Sound off in the comments below!