One of the most highly anticipated movies of the year, Wicked: For Good reveals the untold truth of the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo). Set during the events of 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, the musical sequel follows Elphaba and the Good Witch Glinda (Ariana Grande), after the former defies the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) in defense of the Animals of Oz.
While the first Wicked movie, based on the Broadway musical of the same name, served as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, For Good is a reimagining of its story. As such, the casting choice for Dorothy Gale, The Wizard of Oz’s protagonist, has been a major talking point among Wicked fans.
While the original 1939 version famously starred Judy Garland in the role, For Good features UK actress Bethany Weaver as Dorothy. Notably, Dorothy is only a background character, with her face not directly shown in the film, but her quest to defeat the Wicked Witch of the West and deliver her broom to the Wizard is still a huge part of the story.
Due to this, the focus is on other characters, including Dorothy’s traveling party of Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, all of whom are teased in the first Wicked film. Prior to the For Good credits confirming Weaver’s casting, actress Alisha Weir was heavily theorized to play the role.
Previously, Erivo discussed the decision to minimize Dorothy’s role in For Good. The actress said: “I think that’s such a wonderful thing to do because then everyone gets to keep the Dorothy that they know.”
Nonetheless, For Good does not undermine Dorothy’s role in the story, but rather, it offers an alternative perspective. Grande also addressed this choice and how the film shows Glinda’s dynamic with Dorothy, stating: “I love the little bit of shadiness that Glinda has towards Dorothy.“
“There’s a lot going on, and she doesn’t really have time to deal with this,” Grande continued. “She could have told her to take the Emerald City train! But she didn’t. That’s a little shady, Glinda! So I leaned all the way into Glinda sort of having an eye roll for Dorothy whenever she has to deal with her.”
Regardless of Dorothy’s reduced relevance in the story, her presence and that of the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion are a fun inclusion for fans of the classic film and the book on which it was based. Wicked: For Good releases in theaters on November 21, 2025.
Wicked: For Good
- Release Date
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November 21, 2025
- Runtime
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137 Minutes
- Director
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Jon M. Chu
- Writers
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Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox, Gregory Maguire