Wicked: For Good Makes 5 Major Changes From The Stage Musical

The witches of Oz are back, but sadly, not “For Good.” On Nov. 21, the long-awaited second Wicked film, Wicked: For Good, finally hit theaters, telling how the story of Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba and Ariana Grande’s Glinda ends. Like its predecessor, For Good brings the beloved 2003 Broadway musical to life — and then some.

The 2024 film stayed fiercely loyal to the first act of the original musical, only expanding certain scenes with stories and details lifted from the original 1995 novels, written by Gregory Maguire. However, director Jon M. Chu takes many more liberties on Wicked: For Good, which depicts Act 2 of the musical.

The second movie contains several new scenes — including two original songs written specifically for the film — that expand the characters’ backstories and motivations. Given that the Broadway musical’s second act is much shorter than the first part, the new material pays off in spades and is already helping Erivo and Grande garner Oscar buzz again, after their nominations for Wicked.

If you need to revisit the latest film or just are too impatient to see the new scenes in theaters, read on for the five biggest changes that were made for Wicked: For Good.

Glinda’s Childhood

For the first time, Wicked fans get a small but impactful look at Glinda’s childhood in the opening scenes. She remembers her birthday party as a young child, where she was given a new magic wand, but struggles to cast a spell in front of her friends. When a rainbow suddenly appears, she takes credit for making it happen, foreshadowing her current situation.

The Bubble’s Origin Story

At long last, Wicked: For Good shows fans how Glinda acquired her famous bubble — and it’s not as magical as it looks. It turns out that the Wizard and Madame Morrible created the contraption for Glinda’s public speeches, and it operates mechanically, with a new bubble forming at the press of a button. However, they also gift Glinda a wand to create the illusion that she’s moving by magic.

“No Place Like Home”

Elphaba gets a new song that was written for the second film by original musical composer Stephen Schwartz. “No Place Like Home” begins when Elphaba tries to convince the animal community, including her former nanny Dulcibear, to fight for their rights rather than escape Oz. That moment makes her realize just how much she misses home after going into hiding.

Glinda & Fiyero’s Wedding

In the Broadway musical, Glinda and Fiyero are engaged, much to her delight. However, they don’t even get a chance to plan the wedding before Fiyero runs off with an exiled Elphaba and breaks Glinda’s heart. In Wicked: For Good, not only does a wedding happen, but Glinda gets to walk down the aisle before their ceremony is interrupted, and Fiyero leaves with Elphaba.

“The Girl In the Bubble”

In the original musical, Glinda doesn’t get a pivotal song to cap her emotional arc (as beautiful as “Thank Goodness” is). This changes in Wicked: For Good with “The Girl in the Bubble,” also written by Schwartz, where Glinda beautifully recaps her journey and realizes that she needs to stop being compliant under the Wizard’s regime. As she sings, it’s time for her to pop that bubble.