Set in the Land of Oz before the events of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 2024’s Wicked was a huge hit, scoring big at the box office and receiving critical acclaim for its spectacular visuals, powerhouse vocal performances, and compelling story. It was followed by Wicked: For Good, released in theaters this November and surpassing its predecessor to earn the highest opening weekend for a Broadway adaptation. The movies serve as a two-part adaptation of the popular musical stage production Wicked, which itself is loosely based on Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.
The combined runtime of the two movies is nearly twice that of the original musical. Taking advantage of the medium’s visual and cinematic scope, they were able to show locations, actions, and details that would be impossible on stage. Because of this, there are plenty of moments in the movies that are not in the musical. However, several moments from the musical are noticeably absent from the movies.
8
Elphaba Is Already Enrolled at Shiz University When She Arrives
Shiz is the institution of higher education in the Land of Oz and serves as a key setting in both the musical stage show and the movie adaptations. Interestingly, though, Elphaba’s arrival at the university is portrayed differently in the musical. She is already enrolled and arrives at Shiz alongside her sister with every intention of becoming a student. In the movie, however, she is merely there to drop off Nessa and inadvertently catches Madame Morrible’s attention, who convinces her to enroll.
7
Pfannee Is Female
A wealthy Munchkinlander, Pfannee is one of Glinda’s friends — starting as a part of her clique at Shiz and remaining in her inner circle throughout. In the Gregory Maguire novels and the musical adaptation, Pfannee is portrayed as a female. In the movies, however, Pfannee is gender-swapped and played by Bowen Yang, who reportedly improvised many lines during filming, resulting in the character playing a larger role than initially intended. Superficial and initially something of a bully toward Elphaba, he serves as both comic relief and a character audiences “love to hate.”
6
Elphaba Creates a Different Distraction To Save the Lion Cub
A moment that has major consequences later in the story is when Elphaba and Fiyero free a caged lion cub during Dr. Nikidik’s class. The trembling cub is presented to the class as an example of how animals should be controlled and restricted from speaking. This distresses Elphaba, prompting an outburst of her untrained magic, which she uses to rescue the lion. This magical outburst manifests itself in different ways, though.
The stage version depicts a raw, explosive, magical outburst driven by anger, with books and students flying across the room and shaking uncontrollably as the cage explodes open. When it came to the movie, this was considered too chaotic, making Elphaba seem dangerous and less sympathetic. In a clever reference to the use of poppies in the original Wizard of Oz as a sleep-inducing soporific, the movie’s depiction of Elphaba’s magical outburst was heavily toned down. Instead of causing the class to violently shake, they are sent to sleep when she materializes magic poppy flowers, allowing her and Fiyero to rescue the caged animal.
5
Madame Morrible’s Verse in “Thank Goodness”
Film has far greater scope to depict elements that, onstage, must often be conveyed through vocal exposition. In the movie, the song “Thank Goodness” is essentially split into two songs: “Every Day More Wicked” and “Thank Goodness / I Couldn’t Be Happier,” using a montage, flashbacks, and callbacks to earlier songs to bring the audience up to speed.
Morrible’s verse, where she paints Elphaba as a “jealous,” “wicked witch” bursting “from concealment, where she had been lurking, surreptitiously,” was noticeably removed from “Thank Goodness.” While it has been widely reported as down to actor Michelle Yeoh’s reservations about her singing abilities, the change allows the narrative to be streamlined and avoids the film having to explicitly rely on Morrible’s intentionally false explanation of Glinda’s rise to power. As a result, the movie shifts the focus from The Regime’s anti-Elphaba propaganda efforts, making it more about Glinda’s emotional journey.
4
Elphaba Also Screams Fiyero’s Name at the Beginning of “No Good Deed”
One of the most memorable moments of the stage musical is when, at the beginning of the song “No Good Deed,” Elphaba screams the name “Fiyero,” shortly followed by Glinda, who joins the scream, creating a striking musical dissonance between the two, highlighting their anguish as he is captured by the Wizard’s guards.
While some die-hard fans have expressed dissatisfaction with the omission, the decision was likely made to align with the minor narrative adjustments seen in the movie. Elphaba was not present onscreen at this point, instead focusing on trying a dangerous, complex spell to save Fiyero from the guards. She is, therefore, not as outwardly emotional as Glinda, who screams his name on her own, after directly witnessing the capture before it transitions into Elphaba’s song.
3
Nessarose’s Walking Arc
Quite possibly the biggest omission from the stage production is Nessarose ‘Nessa’ Thropp’s “walking arc.” Portrayed as an intelligent, attractive, physically disabled young woman, Nessa ultimately becomes the Wicked Witch of the East. In the original stage show, her greatest desire in life is to walk — a wish her sister Elphaba grants when she enchants Nessa’s jeweled shoes.
In the movies, the role of Nessa is played by Marissa Bode, who has been in a wheelchair since the age of 11 following her paralyzation as a result of a car crash. Her first major movie appearance, Bode’s performance in Wicked was a revelation, with her receiving praise for her strong vocals and natural charisma. Her character arc is noticeably different, however, with the filmmakers feeling that the focus on her desire to walk was “ableist” and “outdated.”
Learning from the PWD (people with disabilities) community, it was clear that their lives would not be “solved” if they could walk. Discarding this problematic subplot, they felt it made more sense that Nessa’s ultimate desire was love, stemming from her obsession with Boq. Elphaba believes the closest thing to replicating this feeling was to “defy gravity,” and, as a result, she grants Nessa the power of flight.
2
Madame Morrible Is the One Who States That Elphaba Is a “Child of Both Worlds”
Because Elphaba’s mother is from Oz and her biological father is the Wizard from the real world, she is described as a “child of both worlds.” Madame Morrible learns this about her in the musical and uses the phrase to explain her unique and potent magical abilities. In the movie, Glinda describes Elphaba as a “Child of both worlds” when she speaks to the Wizard about him being her biological father. It’s a subtle change, but it gives Glinda more emotional weight, making the discovery part of her arc.
1
A Few Overtly Political Jokes
Universal Pictures
The original stage show debuted in 2003, which was an interesting moment in U.S. politics. A few jokes that were noticeably absent from the movies were included to reflect this. One example is Nessa referring to herself as an “unelected official” when explaining why she can’t harbor a fugitive after taking over as Munchkinland’s governor from their late father. This was clearly a reference to the commonly used phrase at the time to describe then-President George Bush, following his 2000 election victory over Al Gore and the controversy surrounding the contested ballots in Florida.
Another topical joke made in the original stage show occurs when Glinda describes Dorothy Gale’s house falling on Nessa as “a regime change.” This was another common phrase at the time, widely used to justify the Iraq War during the Bush Administration, making the line a subtle dig at American foreign policy. Despite removing these outdated topical jokes, the movies still carry a strong political message, with their exploration of “perception vs. reality” feeling even more relevant in today’s political climate.