When Wicked flew into theaters last year, it unlocked a whole new world of magic and understanding as the Gregory Maguire–based characters came to life on the big screen, shedding light on how Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) secured an unlikely friendship. While the first film was sunshine, elaborate dance routines, and rainbows, Wicked: For Good takes on a much darker tone as the truly wicked nature of Oz and its inhabitants is revealed. With a witch hunt that turns deadly, the revelation of core facts of theater lore, and a friendship that transcends time and space, the concluding chapter to the successful Broadway musical wraps up the Wicked world in a nice little bubble—and tugs at heartstrings while doing so.
Taking place years after Elphaba flew away following her deeply moving performance of “Defying Gravity” in Wicked, the people of Oz have been brainwashed by Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) and the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) into thinking that Elphaba—now the Wicked Witch of the West—is the cause of the land’s misfortune due to her animal rights activism. With “Every Day More Wicked” setting the tone for how the people hate Elphaba, she, on the other hand, stands her ground on believing that Oz should be a home for everyone—animal or otherwise.
G(a)linda, on the flip side of the coin, lives a fairy-cushioned life with the Wizard. Because of her love for sycophancy, she’s the Wizard’s spokesperson, and the people of Oz adore her. She’s also engaged to Fyero (Jonathan Bailey), who now happens to be Captain of the Gale Force. As she “couldn’t be happier,” Glinda’s mind still always wanders to her friend who has found safety in the woods.
As Elphaba tries to fight a system that is clearly against her and recruits help from the unwilling animals, her sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode), the Governor of Munchkinland, still perpetuates stereotypes by preventing the overlooked Munchkins from leaving Oz. She also somewhat holds Boq (Ethan Slater) hostage when it’s been clearer than day since Wicked that he is hopelessly in love with Glinda. In a rather unfortunate turn of events that includes a spell to save his life, Boq is turned into the Tin Man and joins Dorothy (Bethany Weaver) on her Wizard-of-Oz–assigned mission to kill the Wicked Witch of the West.
Meanwhile, Glinda and Fyero’s wedding is cut short by Elphaba’s confrontation with the Wizard as she frees the animals imprisoned by him. Fyero confesses his love for Elphaba by defending her in front of a heartbroken Glinda. Elphaba and Fyero escape, and Glinda vows to take revenge on the two. She maliciously suggests to Morrible that the only way to draw Elphaba out of her hiding place is to harm Nessarose. And that was what Morrible did. Causing a tornado that has never been seen in the history of Oz, Nessarose dies by being crushed by a house which happened to belong to Dorothy.
As events unfold, Elphaba is pushed into the dark side and fully accepts the title bestowed upon her as the Wicked Witch of the West. However, she never loses her love for the ones she cares about: the animals, Fyero, and Glinda. She turns Fyero into the Scarecrow in an attempt to save his life after he is beaten up by the Gale guards. She protects Glinda in the final showdown between Dorothy and Elphaba and chooses death as her friend tearfully watches on.
Glinda uses Elphaba’s alleged death to change things in Oz and actually be Glinda the Good Witch. She exiles the Wizard (who happens to be Elphaba’s real father), arrests Morrible, and embraces the animals back into Oz. She also vows to learn magic—something Elphaba encouraged her to do before her “passing.” Except Elphaba never passed; she only hid until Glinda executed all her good deeds and Oz forgot her existence. The film ends with Fyero and Glinda leaving Oz for good.
What Wicked: For Good does very well is how it transcends from being a fluffy musical into a human narrative. It unashamedly tackles Oz politics and the sycophancy of it all, as the people of Oz would much rather have leaders like the Wizard and Morrible—who manipulated the truth—than someone like Elphaba, who dangles it in their face. And it just so happens that that is exactly what happens in modern society. Maguire was ahead of his time when he wrote the books that birthed the musical that birthed these films, because it’s clear as day that Wicked and Wicked: For Good are pieces of political commentary.
The film also tackles unfair discrimination in a society that is structured to accept all creatures. In between the bright colors, grand castles, and pink-and-green ensembles, animals, Munchkins, Elphaba, and people who didn’t look as perfect as Glinda were relegated to the background. The real hate for Elphaba lay, not because she spoke up against injustice, but because she was green—a monstrosity who dared to defy social norms. Again, a perfect reflection of modern society and how detestable factors like tribalism and racism can cause extreme harm. Oz’s hatred for people who weren’t perfect destabilized the society’s fabric of humanity. The same thing is happening in the world around us.
While the group choreography may have been cut short for this film, it danced its way into hearts in its endearing portrayal of the ultimate love story: the bond shared between Glinda and Elphaba. Friendships are often described as the best ship to ever be saddled on (when it’s done right), and the two women proved that through and through. Even with Glinda’s jealousy and Elphaba’s rage, they showed that their hearts, though separate, beat as one in their fierce loyalty and protection of each other. And maybe that’s the ultimate goal of Wicked: For Good—a wholesome portrayal of an unromantic relationship between two soul mates.
Even with the somewhat love triangle between Fyero, Glinda, and Elphaba, director Jon M. Chu didn’t make that the main focus of the story. Yes, Fyero chose Elphaba, but from the beginning, Elphaba has always chosen Glinda. She did fake her death partly to protect her, so if that’s not the ultimate sacrifice for sisterhood, then what is?
Chu blends the characters so well by linking what theater nerds know with what they don’t. For fans of the play (or the book), the inclusion of Dorothy in the mix unfolds somewhat of an understanding as to how she ended up in Oz and confronting the Wicked Witch of the West. It explains how she pivoted from Kansas to Oz thanks to Lady Morrible and how she ended up with her infamous red shoes thanks to the “gift” from Glinda. It further explains how the Wicked Witch and Dorothy became at odds with each other, and newsflash, it was never Elphaba’s fault! This is why origin stories are important: they always reveal the truth behind the tales circulated for centuries.
Wicked: For Good further explains how Dorothy picked up her companions along the way: the Cowardly Lion who was once Elphaba’s cub, the Tin Man who is Boq, and the Scarecrow who is Fyero—although the film doesn’t explain the connection between him and Dorothy because the two never meet. At least not yet. Maybe their meeting will be explained in one of the new Wicked spin-offs Universal is planning. The linking of the Wizard of Oz universe with the Wicked universe must have been a treat for Chu, and it was executed so well to the point that it was flawless. Anyone who doesn’t know the lore would’ve missed the subtle yet important details that made up the film and tied the two universes together.
Of course, Wicked: For Good wouldn’t be as good as it is without the stellar cast. Most of the cast members from Wicked reprised their roles in the second film and upped the ante with their acting and musical talents because they knew this one raised the stakes. Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba was a vision to behold in her all-black ensemble and magical broom, sweeping through Oz with a determination that paid off big time. Though deemed a Wicked Witch by the Ozians, there was something very layered about Erivo’s performance. It was never too much, but just enough to convince the audience that there couldn’t have been a more perfect big-screen Elphaba than her. And her vocal ability? Out of this world! A mere listen to the Wicked: For Good soundtrack would reveal that every riff, every harmony with Grande, and every chord belted was all her. It’s very obvious when an actress has been trained in theater, and Erivo brought her Broadway chops for one of her best performances to date. She carried the film on her back—and it didn’t break. No doubt, there’s another Best Actress nomination at the Oscars in her future.
Ariana Grande glistened as Glinda with her intricately tailored ball gowns, larger-than-life personality, and perfect comedic timing. No longer the girl in the bubble, Glinda displayed the most character development as she went from being somewhat of a spoiled brat in Wicked to understanding the true meaning of friendship in Wicked: For Good. The films have been Grande’s standout era as an actress as she has put her literal body, mind, and soul into being this bubbly, irrational, and loving character. There might have been initial skepticism as to whether Grande could pull off the acting bit of Glinda (she has the vocal part locked down), but Grande has unashamedly put all her doubters to shame one “toss toss” and “clock tick” at a time. Wicked: For Good was Grande’s chance to prove that she’s not just a multi-platinum-selling artiste; she can act exceptionally well too, and she made that transition easily with dedication and flair. The Oscars campaign for Best Supporting Actress is already in full swing, and honestly, she deserves the win next year.
When actors have a bond outside of work, it’s noticeable, and the pairing of Erivo and Grande made as much sense as night and day. Their performances in Wicked: For Good were emotional, moving, and spirited from the first scene down to the last. Every fight, every touch, and every tear felt real, and it was amazing to see how the two embodied their characters. Again, the ultimate love story was truly Elphaba and Glinda, and Erivo and Grande were the vessels that brought that bond to life in the most breathtaking way.
Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz and Michelle Yeoh as Lady Morrible play manipulative villains in pristine green clothing, with Goldblum as the standout performer. He truly settles into being the fraudulent Wizard of Oz, but like most things in Oz, things aren’t always as they appear. And while he may not have appeared evil with his dance moves and magic tricks (he is a Carnie, after all), the Wizard really was the cause of Elphaba’s downfall, and Goldblum settled into the character with the experience of a veteran in Hollywood.
Jonathan Bailey did well with the script given to him as the dashing Fyero. Really, there wasn’t much he could’ve done besides be the knight in shining armor with the alluring smile and unabashed valor that could melt a thousand hearts. His chemistry with Erivo was believable (when they dueted to “As Long as You’re Mine”) until it wasn’t. But the best part was that their almost-chemistry wasn’t the focus of the film, so it was something that could have easily been overlooked.
While Wicked: For Good may have hit the right notes in bringing the world of Oz to light in colorful form, the ink must have run dry in the soundtrack department. Stephen Schwartz, composer of the songs of the two films and the Broadway musical, is brilliant, but for some reason the music of the second film had less memorable tunes. It felt like the songs were written solely to tie into the story, forgetting that there is a need for radio bangers, especially if the film aimed to attract a Gen Z audience. The Wicked soundtrack was great. Songs like “Defying Gravity,” “Popular,” and “Dancing Through Life” understood the importance of a nexus between the story and the listeners, but Wicked: For Good doesn’t quite get that. Save the exception of “For Good,” which is enjoying nostalgic popularity, the rest of the soundtrack falls disappointingly flat.
The Wicked chapter may be closing for now, but the mania still lives on as the musical film delves into the true meaning of love, friendship, and humanity. The wonderful memories and the nostalgic moments it heralded will continue to impact the lives of theater faithfuls.
Release Date: November 21, 2025
Runtime: 2 hours and 17 minutes
Streaming Service: None. Cinematic Release
Director: Jon M. Chu
Cast: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, and Bethany Weaver.