Wicked: For Good – Jon M. Chu Reveals Scarecrow & Tin Man Aren't CGI Characters

As Wicked: For Good draws closer, the cast and crew reveal secrets from behind the scenes about how iconic Wizard of Oz moments and characters were brought to life. Slated to hit theaters on November 21, Wicked: For Good will wrap up the story of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande), the two young women who became unlikely friends before they were Oz’s most famous witches.

This is decidedly one of the most anticipated movies of 2025, following the first part, 2024’s Wicked, being a record-breaking smash hit at the box office and earning several Academy Awards nominations. Marketing has also emphasized Dorothy’s presence as the story begins to overlap with The Wizard of Oz, though it is confirmed that Dorothy’s face won’t be seen.

On the other hand, her famous trio of traveling companions have more prominent roles, especially the Tin Man and the Scarecrow. Wicked: For Good‘s official trailer briefly features both characters, prompting amusement among theater fans that the movie wasn’t making an enormous effort to hide spoilers. However, director Jon M. Chu has now weighed in on a different aspect of these two characters.

Chu attended the BFI London Film Festival on Friday (October 10) and shared a clip from the new movie, of Elphaba briefly visiting Glinda on the day of her wedding. The director also commented on the other iconic Ozion characters, revealing that they were created by the hair and makeup team, with no CGI, as we might have expected. Check out Chu’s comments below:

By the way, wait until you see the Tin Man and the Scarecrow. These are not digital effects. These are real, physical make-up and hair and it is extraordinary. I couldn’t show you any footage here, but when you see it, know there was no room for error on it.

The two-part Wicked movie adaptation has been forced to rely on modern digital effects in some places, but has incorporated tangible set pieces, props, and costumes wherever possible. While we were once worried that Wicked would be overwhelmed by CGI, the real sets that were constructed define the movie, with only a few computer-rendered establishing shots.

While these efforts earned Wicked the Oscar for Best Production Design, they chose to go the CGI, largely realistic route for the talking animal characters in the story, with the results turning out good enough, even with the animals’ expanded role in the movies. Dr. Dillamond (Peter Dinklage) is a more humanoid goat in the Broadway production, as he is an actor wearing some goat-like costuming.

Notably, Cynthia Erivo also talked in the “Making Wicked” feature about choosing to have green makeup applied every day, feeling this made the character more tangible, helping her truly get in touch with Elphaba. Given how spectacular the practical elements have been and how tacky the CGI could have turned out, it’s a relief that is how they are depicting the Tin Man and Scarecrow in Wicked: For Good.