Jon M. Chu’s Wicked was a huge critical and commercial success that took the world by storm in 2024, and it’s easy to understand why. The movie is a powerful, uplifting story about the power of hope and resilience in the darkest of times, elevated by some incredibly catchy music and charming performances. However, Wicked’s ending sets up a completely different sequel, with Elphaba now considered an enemy of the state and her closest friends in terrible danger. The film will be very different, and if the original Broadway production is anything to judge by, a much darker narrative.

Although Wicked is filled with great songs and intricate dance numbers, the best part about the musical blockbuster is undeniably its character work and complex relationships. The dynamic between Elphaba and Glinda is such a compelling one, and it’s solely thanks to the chemistry between Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande that the film manages to work so effortlessly. This relationship will be radically different in Wicked: For Good, and that sets the stage for some hugely important character moments that audiences may not be prepared for.

Cynthia Erivo Confirmed Wicked 2 Will Show Elphaba’s Darker Side

The Actress Has Spoken About Her Character’s Future

Although fans of the Broadway production will have known this from the start, Cynthia Erivo has recently revealed that Wicked: For Good will explore a totally different side of Elphaba that wasn’t present in the first movie. On the special features of Wicked’s home video release, the actress said the following regarding her character’s journey in the upcoming sequel: “This is Elphaba the Wicked Witch. How she moves, how she battles, figuring out the darker side of her. It’s going to be interesting to see what the shift is.”

This seems to suggest that Wicked: For Good will focus on bridging the gap between the first movie and The Wizard of Oz, exploring how Elphaba’s isolation from the rest of society causes her to morph into the character that the Wizard and Madame Morrible are trying to frame her as. Wicked completely reframes many scenes from The Wizard of Oz, and the second movie will continue this trend by revealing a side of Elphaba that audiences haven’t seen before.

Why Elphaba Will Be So Much Darker In Wicked 2

The Character’s Journey Has A Tragic Future

While it’s a tragic route for the character to take, it actually makes complete sense for Elphaba to lean further into her dark side in Wicked: For Good. The character has been through so much already, from Glinda’s unwillingness to stand against the Wizard with her, to learning that her childhood hero is nothing more than a fraud – and there are even more betrayals on the horizon. Her optimism has been completely broken down, and by the end of the second movie, Elphaba will have nothing left to lose.

Elphaba is a fascinating character who’s willing to lose everything because she’s never known the privilege of popularity or status. She’s been an outcast for her entire life, and letting the Wizard paint her as a “Wicked Witch” is nothing new to her. She represents the kind of person who’s willing to stand against an oppressive regime even though it will likely destroy her, and Wicked: For Good will likely explore her own self-sacrifice for the greater good of Oz. That’s the kind of tragedy that would drive even the brightest of characters to their darkest behavior.

Elphaba’s Darker Side Can Make Wicked 2 A Completely Different Film From The First

Wicked 2 Has A Totally New Trajectory Following Erivo’s Comments

Wicked: For Good will be very different from the first movie, not just in its tone and atmosphere but also in its narrative. It won’t focus on the friendly rivalry between Elphaba and Glinda, but rather on the larger-scale conflict between Elphaba and the Wizard. This is a much more serious and dangerous battle for the witch to step into, so it makes sense that she’ll have to become darker and more brutal to win.

Although Wicked had hints of this overarching conflict towards the end of the film, the majority of the runtime was taken up by comedic songs like “Popular” and “What Is This Feeling”, but they won’t have a place in Wicked: For Good. The stakes will be much higher and the songs much less upbeat, with musical numbers like “No Good Deed” and “March of the Witch Hunters” setting the stage for a more intense and frightening movie that pushes Elphaba to her limits.