8 Ways Wicked's Ending Sets Up Wicked: For Good's Story

Warning: Potential spoilers for Wicked: For Good and potential spoilers for Gregory Maguire’s book and the Broadway musical.Wicked: For Good is the second movie in Jon M. Chu’s cinematic adaptation of the beloved Broadway production Wicked, which takes place several years before the events of The Wizard of Oz. This prequel follows two witches, Elphaba and Glinda, who grow close at university but ultimately end up sworn enemies fighting on different sides of Oz’s biggest political conflict. The final scenes of Wicked perfectly set up this dark continuation of the story in For Good, with Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship changing hugely in the second part. There are many ways this is teased in the first movie.

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Interestingly, there has been plenty of speculation that Wicked: For Good will deviate slightly from the story of Gregory Maguire’s original novel and the original Broadway production. This comes from the inclusion of new songs in Wicked 2, which could easily change the audience’s perception of these characters and make the ending somewhat more optimistic and digestible. There are some very dark twists in the second half of Wicked, and these additional scenes could give the cinematic adaptation a slightly more positive message that fits more cleanly with the first movie.

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8

Governor Thropp’s Death Sets Up Nessa’s Leadership Of Munchkinland

The Succession Of Munchkinland Plays A Huge Role

Although Elphaba’s father doesn’t play a huge role in the first part of this story, his apparent death at the end of Wicked sets up a major plot point in the second film. At the beginning of the story, he’s the Governor of Munchkinland; an important province of Oz that’s home to the Munchkins. But following his death, it’s Elphaba’s sister Nessarose who’s set to inherit his position and claim leadership over the city. This will be the crux of her character arc throughout Wicked: For Good, as she becomes blinded by authority and begins to exploit the power that she never had as a child.

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7

Nessa’s Reaction Sets Her Up As Elphaba’s Rival

The Cracks In Nessa & Elphaba’s Sisterhood Are Beginning To Show

Another huge plot point in Wicked: For Good is the rivalry between Nessa and Elphaba, which is subtly hinted at towards the end of the first movie. When Nessa receives the news that Elphaba has been declared an enemy of the state, she looks incredibly surprised but seemingly takes the information at face value. This creates an irreparable chasm between the two sisters in the original Broadway production, as Nessa grows to despise her sister for her political rebellion and unwillingness to conform.

6

Glinda’s Rejection Sets Up Boq’s Jealousy

Boq Gradually Becomes A More Spiteful Character

Another character who barely appears in the ending of Wicked is Boq, the Munchkin who spends much of the first movie smitten with Ariana Grande’s Glinda. However, as the movie progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that he doesn’t stand a chance with her – so he moves on to Nessa instead. Boq’s character arc as the eventual Tin Man in Wicked becomes much more important in the second half of the story, as he grows consumed by jealousy, and his relationship with Nessa ultimately suffers because of it.

5

Fiyero’s Escape Sets Up His Search For Elphaba

Fiyero Isn’t As Easily Fooled As The Rest Of Oz

The love triangle at the center of Wicked between Fiyero, Glinda, and Elphaba is some of the most simplistic but charming storytelling in the first film – but that same romantic haziness won’t be present in Wicked: For Good. The second movie takes a much darker approach to these characters, with Fiyero’s engagement to Glinda ultimately falling apart because of her work alongside the Wizard. The character’s lingering feelings for Elphaba are teased at the end of the first movie, when he jumps on his horse and races away from the others upon hearing what happened in the Emerald City.

4

The Wizard’s Lies Establish Him As The Real Villain

The First Movie’s Plot Twist Changes Everything

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The revelation at the end of Wicked that the Wizard is actually a fraud is one of the movie’s most shocking moments, and from that moment, the entire tone of the story shifts. It’s no longer an optimistic fairy tale about a young witch meeting her hero, but rather the story of an oppressive regime that uses hate and lies to squander rebellion. This darker side of the Wizard takes a much larger role in Wicked: For Good, as he uses his political influence to turn the entire realm against Elphaba and her cause.

3

Elphaba Creating The Flying Monkeys Sets Up Her Isolation

The Iconic Creatures Mark Elphaba’s Transition Into The Wicked Witch

The creation of the flying monkeys is one of the most obvious connections between Wicked and The Wizard of Oz, explaining how Elphaba’s signature creatures were born and why they follow her so obediently. By showing the audience this moment in the first film, Wicked does a great job of highlighting Elphaba’s involuntary transformation into the Wicked Witch of the West. She slowly becomes the villainous character that audiences are familiar with, and there are several more moments in the second half of the story that push her further in this direction.

2

Morrible Embracing Glinda Sets Up Their Loyalty To The Wizard

Morrible Has Complete Control Over Glinda In Part Two

One of the more chilling moments in Wicked’s ending is when Glinda is forced to choose between running away with Elphaba and returning to the Wizard. She ultimately chooses the latter, aware that it’s the only way she can maintain her popularity among the people of Oz, and Morrible embraces her into the Wizard’s team.

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However, Morrible’s hug is far from a friendly one; it’s a very cold, calculated decision that tells Glinda exactly where she stands. It’s a warning not to step out of line, making her fully aware that she’s an instrument to be used by the Wizard however he sees fit. This is a crucial moment in Glinda’s storyline, as she’s forced to suffer the consequences of choosing popularity over friendship. And she does see and feel the consequences, causing her deep pain and regret.

1

“Defying Gravity” Sets Up Elphaba & Glinda’s Dissolving Friendship

The Musical Number Signifies The End Of Their Sisterhood

Throughout Wicked, everything is told from the perspective of these young witches and their budding friendship. But when the moment finally comes for Glinda to stand alongside Elphaba and bring the Wizard down, she ultimately decides she can’t. This is the moment that their friendship is finally put to the test, and Wicked: For Good will explore the implications of this decision on both witches.

Their friendship is such a complex one, and their differing ideologies in “Defying Gravity” perfectly establish the conflict that’s to follow in part two.

Moments such as Elphaba’s dance with Glinda display just how much these characters care for each other, but “Defying Gravity” proves that not every friendship can survive in the face of such demanding circumstances. While the first half of this story explores these two women going from enemies to friends, the second half details how the Wizard and Morrible turn them back into enemies – even if it’s not entirely true. Their friendship is such a complex one, and their differing ideologies in “Defying Gravity” perfectly establish the conflict that’s to follow Wicked: For Good.

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Wicked: For Good

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Not Yet Rated

Drama

Fantasy

Musical

Release Date

November 26, 2025

Director

Jon M. Chu

Writers

Winnie Holzman, Gregory Maguire, L. Frank Baum, Dana Fox

Prequel(s)

Wicked

Cast

See All

Ariana Grande
Cynthia Erivo
Jonathan Bailey
Ethan Slater

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Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment

8 Governor Thropp’s Death Sets Up Nessa’s Leadership Of Munchkinland

The Succession Of Munchkinland Plays A Huge Role

7 Nessa’s Reaction Sets Her Up As Elphaba’s Rival

The Cracks In Nessa & Elphaba’s Sisterhood Are Beginning To Show

6 Glinda’s Rejection Sets Up Boq’s Jealousy