Warning: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Wicked: Part 1 and Wicked: Part 2!
As the big-screen adaptation is split into two parts, the 2024 finale Wicked: Part 1 configures the narrative to Wicked: Part 2creating anticipation for the second half of the story. When Marc Platt announced the Evil film in 2012, fans immediately expressed excitement. The eponymous Broadway musical was released in 2003, earning 10 Tony nominations and three wins. Evil continued playing on Broadway and the West End, with the musical having several national tours across the US. Since the film’s announcement, the musical has only continued to grow its fan base.
Twelve years after the film was announced, Wicked has finally hit the big screen, albeit with a twist. Instead of a single film, Universal Pictures decided to divide the story into two parts that would premiere in theaters a year apart. Wicked: Part 1 debuted with a near-perfect audience score from Rotten Tomatoes, building excitement for the second half of the story. However, some fans may not want to wait a year to find out the rest of the story. Fortunately, the Wicked Broadway musical provides answers about what will happen next. Wicked: Part 2.
How Wicked’s ending sets up the story of Wicked 2
The first half of Wicked: Part 1 provides background information about the main characters, displaying their personalities, backgrounds, and interpersonal relationships. Halfway through the film, the story shifts to building up the central conflict – the mistreatment of talking animals. As a woman who has been an outsider her entire life, Elphaba is not willing to stand by and watch the injustice against this minority group. When she seeks the Wizard’s help at the end of Wicked: Part 1she discovers that he and Madame Morrible are responsible for animal cruelty.
This revelation and Elphaba’s reaction to it established the central plot in Wicked: Part 2. The young woman refuses to work with her former idols to harm animals by stealing The Grimerie and leaving alone. However, Glinda decides she can make a better impact by following the system. Their opposing approaches created the antagonistic relationship between the best friends in the second half of the film. two parts Evil film. Your positive relationship throughout Wicked: Part 1 will create cognitive dissonance for the duo moving on to the next film.
Unfortunately, Elphaba will have difficulty finding support from others in her desire to expose the Wizard. At the end of Wicked: Part 1Madame Morrible takes preemptive measures to discredit the witch if she tries to speak out, spreading misinformation to the citizens of Oz. This prepares her to become the villain of the story in Wicked: Part 2even if she is morally right.
Elphaba and Glinda’s story in Wicked 2 based on the book and musical
After “Defying Gravity”, Elphaba flies around helping animals, which is mentioned in the Broadway musical’s dialogue rather than shown. That suits her Evil book story, where she becomes a secret animal activist plotting against the Wizard. Wicked: Part 2 will certainly have her helping animals, potentially showing her as part of the animal resistance group that Dr. Dillamond was involved in, which was created to Wicked: Part 1. Considering how dark the Evil book is that the film is unlikely to pull off any other aspects of the story.
While Elphaba helps the talking animals, Glinda joins the Wizard’s managementbecoming the young figurehead that others look to for comfort and security. She feels conflicted by Madame Morrible’s negative statements about Elphaba, but she does not defend her friend, which drives a wedge between her and Fiyero. Things get worse when Madame Morrible announces their engagement, despite them not being engaged. Based on the film’s fidelity to the musical, all of these elements will no doubt appear in Wicked: Part 2.
Furious, Glinda suggests that Madame Morrible spread a rumor about Nessarose’s safety to lure Elphaba; however, the villain takes it a step further by killing the witch’s sister.
Elphaba returns to the Emerald City to beg for her father’s help in going against the Wizard, only to discover that her sister has taken over as governor of Munchkinland after her father’s death. After a tense scene involving Boq becoming the Tin Man, his sister refuses to help and Elphaba leaves to free the flying monkeys. She is captured by the Wizard, Fiyero and Glinda, but Fiyero helps her escape. This creates a rift between Glinda and Elphaba.
Furious, Glinda suggests that Madame Morrible spread a rumor about Nessarose’s safety to lure Elphaba; however, the villain takes it a step further by killing the witch’s sister. After the death, Glinda and Elphaba are reunited, with the latter upset because the former gave away Dorothy Nessarose’s shoes. Elphaba runs away because of Fiyero, who is injured. However, she turns Fiyero into the Scarecrow to keep him alive.
The musical moves forward to Elphaba in Kiamo Ko with Dorothy captured. Glinda arrives at the castle begging her friend to let the girl go. Elphaba decides to surrender and gives the Grimmerie to Glinda. Glinda hides when the crowd arrives. In the book, Dorothy kills Elphaba, mirroring the climactic moment at the end of The Wizard of Oz. However, the musical has Elphaba fake her death and escape with Fiyero as the Scarecrow, a change that Wicked: Part 2 will undoubtedly follow.
What else will happen in Wicked 2 based on the book and musical
While the Evil musical focuses heavily on the two main characters, the show even includes subplots involving Nessarose, Boq, Madame Morrible and The Wizard. As mentioned, Nessarose takes over as governor of Munchkinland. She keeps Boq as her servant, although she tries to force him to love her. When she is unable to keep him under her control, Nessa takes away the Munchkins’ rights to prevent him from leaving.
However, he attempts to flee after Elphaba enchants Nessarose’s shoes, allowing her to walk. Nessa gets angry and tries to cast a love spell. When she reads the words incorrectly, his heart shrinks and Elphaba must turn him into the Tin Man to keep him alive. Ultimately, Nessarose becomes The Wizard of OzThe character from The Wicked Witch of the East, dying when Madame Morrible drops a house on her. Boq blames Elphaba for everything and rallies the angry mob to kill her.
When he catches Elphaba trying to free the flying monkeys, he offers her the chance to join him again, promising that she won’t have to keep running and hiding.
Madame Morrible becomes more open with her evil, although the musical is still ambiguous about whether she is the true villain or acting on behalf of the Wizard. She continues spreading lies about Elphaba and eventually decides to kill Nessarose to attract the Wicked Witch of the West, a decision that should appear in the second half of the film. In the last moments of the musical Wicked, Glinda has the guards arrest Madame Morrible for the murder, a decision they may mirror Wicked: Part 2.
Lastly, the Wizard continues to be a terrible person who tries to maintain his power. When he catches Elphaba trying to free the flying monkeys, he offers her the chance to join him again, promising that she won’t have to keep running and hiding. However, she discovers that the Wizard held Dr. Dillamond captive and took away his speechwhich causes her to reject him.
The Sorcerer only reappears in the final moments of the musical, when he discovers that Elphaba is his daughter, a devastating revelation that must happen soon. Wicked: Part 2. The character is then banished from Oz by Glinda, leaving in her hot air balloon. Because actor Jeff Goldblum is the wizard in Evilthe second half of the story can increase the number of character scenes; however, its overall arc should remain the same as the Broadway musical.