RIP my karma, but oh well.

It's true that Madge gave Katniss the pin and that's very important. I won't deny that. It kickstarts the mockingjay as the symbol of the rebellion. However, when I watch the movies, I don't feel her absence. I don't feel like the plot took a huge hit just because she isn't in it. She's a very minor character to begin with.

"But Covfefe!" you say. "There are plenty of characters with as much relevance as Madge who didn't get cut!" That's because they couldn't get cut out entirely. Even if they don't show anything about the boy from 10, he still gets mentioned so you know he's dead.

Furthermore, Katniss is not one for friends and showing that contradicts the character we are shown. She connects with Gale because they have a shared need to feed their families and a talent for hunting. Everyone from 12 in the movies brings out different aspects of Katniss' character. At least for me, when I think of Madge, I don't think of how Madge influenced Katniss in the Games beyond the pin. It was given to her in the market and it makes sense for the story the movie told.

Also, movie canon and book canon are different.

Thank you for coming to my Ted talk.