Until then, we’re left with what is in the movie: Diego and Shira’s forehead-touch during the final scene. It’s sweet, but let’s be honest—we all wanted that kiss.
Here’s a blog-style post exploring the infamous Ice Age 4: Continental Drift deleted scene involving Diego and Shira.
Many fans argue that Diego not kissing Shira is more in character. Diego is emotionally stunted. He spent 20,000 years as a lone hunter. A grand, sweeping kiss might feel false to his guarded nature. The almost-kiss, interrupted by Manny’s groan, allowed Diego to maintain his cool exterior while the audience knew the truth. "Shira knows," Thurmeier said in the commentary. "She doesn't need the kiss. She saw him choose her over Gutt. That’s the real love story."
The specific animated kiss has not been officially released to the public in full video form on home media. However, you can find details and recreations through these resources:
Resources like the Love Interest Wiki explicitly list a "deleted scene" where the two share their first kiss.
In the commentary track, director Steve Martino and co-director Mike Thurmeier address the Diego/Shira relationship directly. At the 1:23:15 mark, as the herd celebrates on the beach, Thurmeier says: "We had a longer beat here. Originally, Diego was going to go for it. A real, proper moment. But in test screenings... parents felt it was too 'romantic' for the younger kids. And Ray [Romano, voice of Manny] improvised a line that just killed the mood naturally, so we went with the joke instead of the kiss."
