The 2002 live-action Scooby-Doo film, which starred real-life couple Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. as Daphne and Fred alongside Matthew Lillard's Fred and Linda Cardelini's Velma, is considered one of the best Scooby-Doo films over the years. The film, which was really scripted by James Gunn of Guardian of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad, included a deleted line that addressed suspicions regarding Fred's sexuality that fans had frequently conjectured and was initially rated-R, as Gellar just revealed.
Sarah Michelle Gellar was questioned about what might have been on the 2002 comedy while she was promoting her return to her origins in spooky TV with Wolf Pack. In reaction, the actress revealed that this moment almost transpired as well as the "steamy" kiss between her Daphne and Cardelini's Velma being removed from the final product.
There was also a beautiful line that I'll always remember. Daphne and Fred were fighting when I yelled at him, "And that ascot makes you seem homosexual!" and slammed the door. They also eliminated that. I believe it was the main motivator for me to agree to the movie. And everyone has been thinking about it for a while. The idea that Fred was interested in both parties and such was always implied. It was already less family-friendly.
Fans have speculated about Fred Jones being gay over the years, generally because of his clothing choices. The subject would have been brought up during a confrontation between Daphne and Fred, as Sarah Michelle Gellar revealed on Watch What Happens With Andy Cohen. The Buffy actress added that one of the reasons she wanted to play the lead in the Scooby-Doo film was because she loved the line so much. However, Warner Bros ultimately decided to tone down the more edgy aspects of the 2002 film and excluded Gunn's interpretation of the Scooby-Doo gang's more ambiguous sexualities.
In a Reddit Q&A from over ten years ago, Matthew Lillard also discussed this aspect of the film, revealing that it was originally much more geared toward adults. The Shaggy actor stated that although Fred was gay in the film, Warner Bros. decided against using the R-rated version because "parents flipped their lids" during testing.
Funny enough, the most recent Scooby-Doo installment, Velma, a mature animated series, has drawn criticism from critics and viewers for the adjustments it made to the original cartoon, which included developing a romance between Daphne and Velma. Audiences in 2002 undoubtedly would have had issues with an R-rated version of Scooby-Doo.
However, it does raise the possibility of the original live-action Doo movie. While she isn't campaigning for a Scooby-Doo 3, Sarah Michelle Gellar can be seen in the new teen werewolf series Wolf Pack, which is currently available to stream with a Paramount+ membership.
