Universal still hasn’t announced who’s playing Dorothy in Wicked: For Good, raising concerns that the studio could be making a mistake that’s backfired on other studios, like Disney. The musical is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, which tells the story of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), who eventually becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. It explores her backstory and reveals the many complexities that make her a misunderstood character. The first part of Wicked does include some references to the original film but is more focused on establishing Glinda and Elphaba’s relationship and the conflict with the wizard.

The second part of the musical may be more familiar to audiences. In the stage show, act 2 takes place during the events of The Wizard of Oz, showing what happens behind the scenes as Dorothy and her friends journey to meet the wizard and eventually kill the witch. Dorothy doesn’t have a significant role in the musical, keeping the focus on Elphaba and the other central characters. However, she could have a larger presence in the film based on Wicked 2‘s first trailer, and I’m hoping Universal made the right decision with her casting.

I’m Worried Wicked: For Good Will Bring Back Judy Garland Through Digital Effects

Universal Could Use Deep-fake Technology

Cinema is always one of the biggest benefactors of technological advancement. Special effects have allowed filmmakers to travel to new worlds and bring dinosaurs to life. One recent piece of tech that studios have taken advantage of is deep-fakes. A common way it’s been used is to de-age actors, allowing actors to play younger versions of themselves without needing to be recast, such as Robert De Niro in The Irishman and Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Another way it has been used is to essentially resurrect deceased actors.

The first significant example of this was Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One. It was also used recently in Alien: Romulus to bring back Ian Holm as Rook, an android similar to Alien‘s Ash. Since Dorothy’s casting hasn’t been announced and her face hasn’t been seen in the trailers, I’m concerned Universal may use the same technology to recreate Judy Garland as Dorothy. Garland played the character in 1939, making the role iconic through her beautiful singing voice and whimsical performance. However, there’s a mᴀssive risk in trying to recreate her appearance for Wicked 2.

A Digital Judy Garland Would Be Distracting

These Effects Age Poorly

While deep-fake technology is impressive, it ages poorly and two Disney efforts prove how distracting it can be. I recently rewatched Rogue One after Andor season 2 and was shocked at how poorly the Tarkin effect has aged in nine years. He looks more like a video game character, and it’s hard to take any scene he’s in seriously. Romulus is not even a year old yet, but the Holm effect looked terrible when the film was released. It’s a solid sequel within the Alien universe, but the decision to bring Holm back nearly hurt the film.

A digital Garland likely wouldn’t be in Wicked 2 for long since her role in the musical is very small, but it would still be distracting. It would look uncanny and would be disrespectful to the actor. It’s well known that Garland filmed The Wizard of Oz under horrible conditions, and digitally placing her back into a role that caused her pain would be gross and upsetting. Even if Wicked 2 is excellent, audiences would leave with an unnerving feeling if Universal digitally recreates Garland.

Wicked: For Good Could Still Follow The Musical

Dorothy’s face could be kept hidden

In the stage musical, Dorothy is never physically on stage. The only time she’s seen is as a silhouette when she throws the bucket of water at Elphaba. However, Wicked 2’s trailer suggests she may appear more in the film. The trailer includes a few sH๏τs of Dorothy and her silver slippers. The first shows her walking down the yellow brick road, and the other shows her standing in front of the Wizard with the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion.

Still, the movie may follow the stage show and never show Dorothy’s face. The sH๏τs in the trailer show her with her back turned to the camera and only include her slippers. Universal may not have announced her casting because it could just be a stand-in whose face is never shown. If they do show her face, I hope the studio has an actual actor portraying her. Wicked: For Good looks excellent, and it’d be a shame if it’s tarnished by a digital recreation of Garland.