This article contains spoilers for the Wicked stage production.Wicked: For Good is set for release later this year, and the next installment in Jon M. Chu’s cinematic Broadway adaptation is going to be much darker and more intense than the first. Inspired by the second act of the stage play, Wicked 2 details the political rivalry between Elphaba and the Wizard, directly leading into the events of The Wizard of Oz.

Wicked already made some big changes to the musical, and these creative liberties are sure to be present in the second part too, but they don’t have to be a bad thing. Stories told through stage and screen are intrinsically different, and the first movie did an excellent job of translating some of the musical’s more abstract concepts into a cinematic spectacle.

Wicked 2 Should Concentrate On Elphaba & The Wizard’s Dynamic

While it’s typically a good idea for movie adaptations to stay as loyal to the source material as possible, Chu’s Wicked films have the added benefit of being much longer than the stage play. This gives the director plenty of extra screen time to develop subplots that aren’t fully expanded upon in the original version.

One of the most exciting storylines that could get some more attention in Wicked: For Good is the dynamic between Elphaba and the Wizard. The pair don’t interact much in the play’s second act, as Elphaba has gone into hiding and the Wizard merely tries to damage her reputation from the comfort of the Emerald City.

Thankfully, Wicked: For Good should have more room for some face-to-face interactions between Elphaba and the Wizard. The pair will definitely reunite during “Wonderful,” one of the Wizard’s only musical numbers, but this shouldn’t be the extent of their interactions, especially given the twist that Elphaba is the Wizard’s daughter, which is somewhat brushed over in the Broadway production.

The Wizard is largely responsible for Elphaba’s villainous reputation, and his spineless, authoritarian actions are what Elphaba is risking her life fighting against. It’s a potent conflict, and one that could flesh out both characters even further if they end up crossing paths even more onscreen.

The stage play is much more streamlined in its storytelling due to its time constraints, which means that Elphaba and Glinda’s dynamic is often the focus of the narrative. But Chu has already proven that he’s capable of using his extra screen time to bring Wicked’s side characters into the spotlight, as with Madame Morrible in Wicked: Part One. The Wizard should now get this treatment.

This may not have been the initial plan when developing the script for Wicked: For Good, but it definitely should have been brought up after seeing how brilliant Cynthia Erivo and Jeff Goldblum were together in the first movie. Both actors have such a fierce, commanding screen presence, and it would be a waste if they only got a single scene together in Wicked.