One specific aspect of Wicked is awkward on a rewatch after the upcoming sequel changed its тιтle. Wicked was one of the most successful movies of 2024, which led to it being nominated for an impressive ten Academy Awards. Usually, after the Oscars, the buzz for most of the awards season standouts dies down. However, this will not be the case for Wicked, as the upcoming Wicked: For Good will continue Elphaba and Glinda’s story. After the dramatic ending of Wicked, it will be exciting to return to the world of Oz in the highly anticipated sequel.

Wicked’s cliffhanger ending was not surprising, as the sequel was announced prior to the film’s release. Since the Broadway musical it is based on is split into two acts, it made sense to split Wicked’s story into two movies. After all, it would have been too hard to condense the emotional journey of Elphaba and Glinda into just one movie. While the sequel was planned ahead of time and the films were sH๏τ back-to-back, Wicked 2’s тιтle was changed after the release of the first film. Because of this, the тιтle card in the first Wicked movie is awkward.

Wicked’s тιтle Card Is For Wicked: Part 1, Which Made Sense At The Time

The Upcoming Sequel Was Originally тιтled Wicked: Part 2

After the song “No One Mourns the Wicked,” the тιтle card for Wicked shows up on screen. When I first watched Wicked in November 2024, when the movie was released, I didn’t think twice when I read “Wicked: Part 1” on the screen. After all, at that point in time, the тιтle of the upcoming sequel was Wicked: Part 2. Furthermore, I didn’t question the studio’s decision to refer to both movies as “Part 1” and “Part 2” at all, as a lot of movie series do this.

I actually think it was smart to clearly state that Wicked is just the first part of a bigger story. If it didn’t do this and audience members didn’t know that the sequel had already been sH๏τ, then they may have been thrown off by Wicked’s cliffhanger ending. This especially could have been the case since a lot of the conflicts set up in Wicked are not resolved by the end of the film. Therefore, the тιтle card reading “Wicked: Part 1” likely avoided some people being disappointed by the movie’s ending and led to more positive reviews.

Wicked: For Good’s тιтle Change Makes Wicked’s Part 1 Subтιтle A Bit Awkward

Wicked 2 Changed Its тιтle In December 2024

For the aforementioned reasons, I initially believed it was very smart to clearly establish that Wicked is just part one of a story that will continue in the upcoming sequel. However, my opinion on Wicked’s тιтle card changed when Wicked 2 received a new тιтle. In December 2024, less than a month after the release of Wicked, it was revealed that the sequel would be called Wicked: For Good. While this is a great тιтle and references an amazing song from the Broadway musical, it creates a problem with the first movie’s тιтle card.

Because of the тιтle change, Wicked and its sequel can no longer be referred to as “Part 1” and “Part 2.” Now, it is technically correct to refer to the two films as “Part 1” and “For Good.” The new subтιтle for Wicked 2 is undeniably more creative, but it no longer flows well with the first film. Since the sequel’s тιтle has changed, I wish the тιтle card for the first movie would just read “Wicked.” However, since the movie has already been released in theaters, on digital, and on streaming, it’s unlikely that Wicked’s тιтle card will change.

Why Wicked 2 Changed Its тιтle To Wicked: For Good

Wicked 2’s New тιтle Refers To A Song In The Sequel

At the beginning of the first Wicked movie, Elphaba and Glinda can’t stand each other. However, once they spend more time together, they grow to be best friends. This prompts Elphaba to invite Glinda along when she is invited to Emerald City to meet the Wizard. However, the ending of the first film tests their friendship when they discover that the Wizard and Madame Morrible are behind the conspiracy against the animals in the world of Oz. While Elphaba flies away from Emerald City, Glinda stays behind.

Since the story of Wicked revolves around the friendship between Elphaba and Glinda, it is fitting that the тιтle of the second movie references an emotional duet that the two characters will sing together. “For Good” is the name of a song that Elphaba and Glinda will sing in Wicked 2, during which they reflect on how much they have changed each other. In the Broadway musical, the performance of this song is also the last time Elphaba and Glinda see each other on stage. This makes them singing “For Good” perhaps the most emotional moment of the entire musical.

If the sequel follows the musical, then Elphaba will fake her own death in Wicked: For Good and leave Oz with Fiyero. Before leaving, she gives Glinda the Grimmerie and tells her that she has to continue her cause. After giving her the Grimmerie, Elphaba and Glinda sing “For Good” together, emotionally reflecting on their friendship and revealing how much they mean to one another. If Wicked: For Good’s story follows the play, then the performance of this song will probably be the last time Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s versions of the characters see each other.

Wicked’s Part 1 тιтle Card Makes Less Sense Based On Wicked 2’s Script

The тιтle Wicked: For Good Was Written On The Script Of The Sequel

Because of the emotional meaning behind the new тιтle for Wicked 2, I am definitely glad that it was changed. However, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me that Wicked’s тιтle card will always read “Part 1.” Comments from director Jon M. Chu explaining the sequel’s тιтle change make it even more surprising that Wicked’s тιтle card was never changed before the film was released in theaters. Talking about Wicked 2’s тιтle change, Chu said:

Who wants a movie called Wicked: Part Two? On the script, it always said, “For Good,” and so it was just a point of like, “Do we really want to call this Part Two?” And nobody wants that.

Based on these comments, it seems like Chu wanted to change the тιтle of Wicked 2 before the release of the first movie. Since “For Good” was always written in the script for Wicked 2, it’s surprising that he and the studio didn’t decide to change the first movie’s тιтle card before it was released in theaters. Doing this would have avoided this awkward element of the first Wicked movie, but now the film’s тιтle card will always be distracting.