8 Ways Wicked 2 Will Be Different From The First Film

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Wicked, the 2024 film and Broadway show.Evil became a bigger hit than anyone expected, raising expectations for the second half scheduled for November 2025. However, as the story of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera) progresses and the stakes increase, fans new and old can expect some major differences between the first and second films. Wicked: Part Two will continue the prequel story of the (in)famous witches of Oz, who are on their way to being known as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good by Evilis ending.

While the first act of the Broadway musical Evil follows Elphaba and Glinda's school days and their arc from enemies to friends, the second act shows them struggling with the harsh realities of Oz after leaving school (Elphaba having flown away in a blaze of glory and Glinda probably actually graduating). The two-part film adaptation follows the same structure, which means there will be some key differences between the two parts. However, even if the music, story structure and characterizations change, audiences can expect the same breathtaking spectacle that was presented in 2024.

8

Elphaba and Glinda will be separated in Wicked 2

Elphaba and Glinda are no longer conveniently in the same place

The first half of Evil does most of the work of establishing Elphaba and Glinda's relationship, a task made easier by the fact that they are close to each other for most of the running time, attending Shiz University and being forced to live together. This allows for some more inconsequential antics and humorous beats arising from their contrasting personalities, as well as sweet affirmations of their friendship. However, this is the entire basis for their relationship to still be deeply important throughout the entire process. Wicked 2 when physical distance separates them.

Since Elphaba is on the run, she is not at risk of casually meeting her family or friends. She and Glinda only have a few scenes together, which are emotionally charged moments defined by conflict or reconciliation between the two. Their friendship developing gradually during lazy nights in their dorm is not in the cards because of their locations. Evil It possibly teases a flashback for Elphaba and Glinda in the next film, which would increase their screen time together, but they're still rarely in the same place in the main timeline.

7

Shiz will not be the main setting in Wicked 2

The days of “Dear Old Shiz” are in the past, changing the nature of the story

The majority Evil (part one) also takes place at Shiz University, facilitating Elphaba and Glinda's growing friendship through a natural story that places them in the same place. Evil initially launches into a familiar boarding school story (with the characters' ages being older than in most similar narratives), with some nostalgic tropes of a magical curriculum, a bully-turned-friend, a night out dancing, etc. they last forever, and the characters grow and are forced to test what they learned in the outside world.

Assuming that Wicked: Part Two continues where the second act of the show begins, the story begins after a time jump. Elphaba effectively abandoned Shiz, but the others probably finished their studies. Glinda is now the spokesperson, Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) is the captain of the guard, and Nessarose (Marissa Bode) is the governor of Munchkinland. The setting is less of a set place for everything to happen, as Elphaba, especially, is in constant motion. The overall tone changes with less comfort and stability as found in Shiz even if there were signs of something sinister there.

6

Wicked 2 will have original songs

Legendary songwriter Wicked is returning once again with new music

A highly anticipated element Wicked: Part Two are the two original songs confirmed to be added to the soundtrack. It was announced before Evilupon release that it would include some new tracks, as the overall running time is longer and more music is needed to keep up the pace. With the first half of Evil simply already having increasingly longer musical numbers, it was natural that the second installment would end with more original musical material. The film "One Short Day" already includes a new song, performed by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth in their magic Evil cameo.

Now the focus is on the next two songs that Stephen Schwartz, the composer behind the Broadway production of Evilwill write for the subsequent film. Furthermore, Cynthia Erivo provoked the Evil song she co-wrote for the upcoming film, which appears to be another solo ballad performed by Elphaba. Schwartz has a monumental task ahead of him: delivering music that lives up to the songs that have been iconic for over 20 years, made even more so by his performance in the highly acclaimed film. However, the prospect of Erivo pulling off another snag is very promising.

5

Nessarose and Boq will be (to some extent) villains in Wicked 2

Nessa becomes the wicked witch of the East and Boq, another enemy of Elphaba

The fraudulent Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) and his sorceress ally Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) remain the main villains in the second half of Evil. However, the supporting characters of Nessarose and Boq (Ethan Slater) also become somewhat antagonistic, making selfishly dangerous decisions - on both sides, because of the desire for love. Glinda suggests that the Munchkin boy who admires her invite Elphaba's younger sister over to get him off her, which leads Boq and Nessa into a superficial relationship in which Boq does not reciprocate Nessa's feelings.

Both character arcs are sensitive subjects, as they need to portray unrequited love as a corrupting force that leads to greater consequences. Nessa is technically the rightful leader of Munchkinland, but becomes a tyrannical ruler in an effort to keep Boq close to her, becoming known as the more quietly evil Wicked Witch of the East. In the show, she doesn't hesitate to blame Elphaba for Boq's transformation into the Tin Man; Boq then leads a mob of witch hunters against Elphaba. Both characters are lessons in denial and make the story more dynamic with more enemies on the loose.

4

Fiyero will have a more active role in Wicked 2

Fiyero doesn't sit idly by when Elphaba is in trouble

Fiyero is largely pulled into the plot by Elphaba and Ginda in the first half of Evil. He involves the entire school in a somewhat illegal night when he arrives at Shiz and sings "Dancing Through Life". His arc then sees him entering into a relationship with Glinda without much thought, and helping Elphaba rescue the lion cub when she (possibly unintentionally) leaves only him awake by casting a sleeping spell on the rest of the class. However, EvilThe ending shows Fiyero leaving Shiz in a hurry after Elphaba is declared a danger to the public.

This defines his role in the rest of the story: Fiyero becomes Captain of the Mage's Guard, a position he primarily uses to search for Elphaba, trying to reach her before someone who could harm her does. He stays with Glinda all this time, but practically the moment he is reunited with Elphaba, he confesses that she is the one he really loves and leaves with her. The show also includes a dramatic confrontation where Fiyero threatens Glinda to force the other guards to let go of Elphaba, who will likely be transferred.

3

There won't be as many big musical numbers in Wicked 2

The Rest Of Wicked Soundtrack Limits Opportunities For The Wicked Film Production To Show Off Its Strengths

In addition to there being more songs in the first half of Evilthere are a greater number of bombastic set numbers. Now that director Jon M. Chu and his production team have proven that they are masters at staging and filming such sequences, the fact that there won't be as many of them in the future is a disappointment. There is a possibility that one of the new songs will be another ensemble number, or that the film will extend some of the shorter songs performed by the musical's entire cast.

As performed on stage, the biggest musical number in the EvilThe second act of is the first, "Thank God", where Glinda tries to reassure the Ozian public while the Wicked Witch is still free. “Finale” is a brief reprise of “No One Mourns the Wicked,” while “March of the Witch Hunters” features some dark theater but is also short and simple. There are some opportunities to flesh out these songs, but people can generally expect that they won't equal the back-to-back hits of "What Is This Feeling?", "Dancing Through Life" and "One Short Dia."

2

Wicked 2 will overlap more with The Wizard of Oz

Wicked's timeline eventually catches up with the original plot

Evil begins in what might be called sequence territory for The Wizard of Ozwith Glinda greeting the Munchkinlanders after the Wicked Witch's supposed death, a scene during which she mentions that the Wizard has already left Oz (to take Dorothy home, but accidentally leaving her behind, according to the 1939 film). Evil then moves on to the main setting, long before Dorothy's arrival, when Elphaba and Glinda meet at school. Most EvilDorothy's narrative is definitely a prequel, delving into the characterizations and backstories of people who will one day complete Dorothy's adventure.

However, Evil eventually reaches The Wizard of Oz; Coming out of the show, we're halfway through the second half, when a plot to put Nessarose in danger to bring Elphaba out of hiding leads to Dorothy being brought to Oz and the death of the Wicked Witch of the East. Many of Elphaba's actions are concerned with retrieving her sister's shoes, which Dorothy obtained. It starts to feel a lot more like a reimagining of The Wizard of Oz than a prequel, as the former's plot is implied to be happening off-screen.

1

Wicked 2 will feature Dorothy

Dorothy was previously featured in Wicked's marketing

Finally, Dorothy's long-awaited and mysterious role in Evil the film adaptation will be implemented in the next edition. Dorothy was teased in Evil trailers, although her face was never shown and it is still unknown who plays her in the film. Although Elphaba has face-to-face interactions with Dorothy in this narrative, Dorothy is never seen on stage in the Broadway production; she is only heard crying offstage and is seen as a silhouette when she melts Elphaba.

Dorothy is apparently set to have a larger role in the film, potentially drawing inspiration from her only conversation with Elphaba in the original novel, despite many major changes. Evil does for the book. While fans of the series may be apprehensive about this change, there is great potential for the film to deal with themes of innocence versus experience through Dorothy's presence. Much about the sequence of Evil is still shrouded in mystery, which will hopefully make the original and familiar elements even more fun when the film finally hits theaters.