Warning: This article contains spoilers for Wicked: Part I and Wicked the Broadway Musical.Wicked, the stage musical turned movie, is heavily inspired by The Wizard of Oz, but still tells its own story with original characters. There are multiple characters from the classic 1939 film that have a role in Wicked. The key players include the likes of the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum), Glinda the Good Witch (Ariana Grande), and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) — the Wicked Witch of the West. Alongside these iconic personas, some other major characters are eventually revealed to be from the previous story, as is the case with the Scarecrow’s Wicked origin story.
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However, these plot twists come in the second act of the stage play, therefore set up to be a part of Wicked: Part 2. Meanwhile, there are new characters made just for Wicked, a jaw-dropping musical adaptation. This prequel takes place during Glinda and Elphaba’s university days, so it’s understandable there are people from back then who are no longer players in the witches’ lives by the time of Dorothy’s arrival. Furthermore, The Wizard of Oz is Dorothy’s story, while Wicked is Elphaba’s. As a result, some of the key figures in Elphaba’s life aren’t present in the original adventure.
6 Madame Morrible
Michelle Yeoh’s Magic Professor Is The Wicked Witch’s Mentor
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One of the most influential characters not from The Wizard of Oz film is Madame Morrible, portrayed by Michelle Yeoh, the December cover woman for AARP The Magazine. Morrible is one of the most esteemed members of the faculty at Shiz Universit, the school Elphaba and Glinda attend; however, Elphaba is not initially originally enrolled in the school. It isn’t until Elphaba accidentally uses her powers during student orientation that Madame Morrible takes an interest in her.
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Madame Morrible insists Elphaba attend Shiz and train under her. While at first, it seems as though Morrible cares for Elphaba, it’s revealed she works directly for the Wizard of Oz, and the two of them have been searching for a magic user who can read the Grimmerie. Madame Morrible suspects Elphaba to be just the witch to do this, and uses her as a pawn as she and the Wizard plot to have more influential power over the Land of Oz.
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While Madame Morrible is not present in The Wizard of Oz, she is crucial to Elphaba’s character development. Along with teaching her how to control her powers, and helping her become the formidable witch she is in the 1939 film, she also betrays Elphaba in a way that sends her directly down the path to becoming the Wicked Witch. In addition to this, Madame Morrible is the woman who turns the public against Elphaba, accusing her of betraying Oz and giving her the title of “wicked.”
5 Doctor Dillamond
Peter Dinklage’s Goat Professor Is One Of The Wicked Witch’s Few Friends
Custom image by Simone Ashmoore
While Madame Morrible poses as a caring teacher, Doctor Dillamond is an actual supportive force in Elphaba’s life. It’s also with the inclusion of Peter Dinklage’s character in Wicked that audiences realize that Oz is not the paradise it seems to be in The Wizard of Oz, or the iridescent land “over the rainbow” Dorothy longs to escape to. While there are talking animals, like the Cowardly Lion, in the 1939 film, it appears that talking animals were more commonplace before the events of the original film.
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Animals were once on equal footing as humans in Oz, but that changed with hard times when the human population looked for someone to blame for scarce resources. Doctor Dillamond reveals that teaching this part of history is frowned upon. On top of his lectures, Dillamond meets with his fellow animals in secret to discuss what’s going wrong in Oz, specifically addressing how some animals are going missing and others are losing the ability to speak altogether. He is even showing signs of this happening himself.
Dillamond’s mistreatment, as well as the mistreatment of the other animals, is also a major reason why Elphaba turns her back on “good” Ozian society and becomes the Wicked Witch.
As a social outcast, Elphaba empathizes with Doctor Dillamond and the animals. The two strike up a
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friendship, but that comes to an end when officers arrest Dillamond and ban him from teaching ever again. While he is not seen for the remainder of Wicked, Elphaba has a vision of him caged, explaining why he is not present in The Wizard of Oz. Dillamond’s mistreatment, as well as the mistreatment of the other animals, is also a major reason why Elphaba turns her back on “good” Ozian society and becomes the Wicked Witch.
4 Pfannee & ShenShen
Bowen Yang Is One Of Glinda’s Earliest Friends At Shiz University
Image via Universal Pictures
Upon arriving at Shiz University, Glinda is the most popular woman on campus. While beloved by everyone, Glinda’s closest friends are Pfannee (Bowen Yang) and ShenShen (Bronwyn James). The two are her biggest supporters and believe Glinda can do no wrong. The talents of the actors playing them means that they also bolster the comedic aspects of Glinda’s character. However, while also feeding into her delusions, they bring out the worst in Glinda when it comes to Elphaba.
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While Glinda wants to be a good person, she is also prone to jealousy. She is not above peer pressure, and her friends — who are less concerned with being good — egg on this ugly side of her. Glinda and Elphaba get on each other’s nerves at first, but Pfannee and ShenShen give Glinda the idea to invite Elphaba out dancing and trick her into wearing her iconic witch hat, which is seen by many as a fashion travesty.
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Thankfully, Glinda sees the error of her ways and actively tries to befriend Elphaba. ShenShen and Pfannee, however, are reluctant to do so. While they stop harassing Elphaba, it is only because Glinda does so. As the film progresses, audiences see these friends fade more and more into the background as Glinda and Elphaba become closer. Looking at Wicked’s timeline, it’s no wonder that by the time of The Wizard of Oz, these two are no longer relevant to either witch.
3 Miss Coddle
The Greatest Showman’s Stand-Out Star Returns To The Big Screen
Where Doctor Dillamond cares about Elphaba, and Madame Morrible sees Elphaba’s potential, Miss Coddle (Keala Settle), portrayed by a breakout star whose voice was everywhere seven years ago, is opposed to Elphaba’s presence at Shiz from the start. As soon as she meets Elphaba, Miss Coddle is nervous about Elphaba’s attendance, and it’s clear she is uncomfortable with her green skin. Coddle also treats Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose (Marissa Bode), like a child who cannot do anything on her own, to Elphaba and Nessarose’s dismay.
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While Miss Coddle has to accept Elphaba as part of the student body once Madame Morrible admits her, she continues to be an antagonizing force. Specifically, when Doctor Dillamond is forced out of the university, Miss Coddle encourages all the students, specifically Elphaba, to let this happen. Coddle is a minor character whose role begins and ends at Shiz University; however, she represents the hatred many direct toward Elphaba based on her skin color, as well as the compliance most Ozians exhibit in favor of a carefree life.
2 Dulicbear
Elphaba’s Mother Figure Was Not Mrs. Thropp
Image via Universal Pictures
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Upon her birth, Elphaba is rejected by her father (Andy Nyman) due to her green skin and burgeoning powers. While everyone present during the birth is shocked, her nanny, Dulcibear (Sharon D. Clarke), promises her that she will have someone to care for her. Dulcibear, a talking bear, lives up to this promise, watching over Elphaba and Nessarose, following their mother Melena’s (Courtney Mae-Briggs) death. Elphaba herself also becomes protective of Nessa but respects her sister’s wishes for some independence.
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As a nanny, Dulcibear’s role in Elphaba’s life is during her childhood. Additionally, as seen in Doctor Dillamond, talking animals are being pushed out of their jobs and silenced, so it’s unsurprising that Dulcibear does not play a role in The Wizard of Oz. However, like Dillamond, Dulcibear is one of the few characters to show Elphaba genuine kindness. With the animals being more gracious toward Elphaba, she naturally wants to do anything she can to help end their oppression.
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1 Governor Thropp & Mrs. Thropp
Elphaba’s Father Hates Her & Coddles Her Sister
Elphaba’s father rejects her from day one, and there are a few unjust reasons for it. Elphaba’s complicated family tree includes her conception being the result of her mother having an affair. While the movie does not confirm with certainty whether Governor Thropp knows about this, it’s likely that he at least suspects it, given his animosity toward Elphaba. He is also frightened by her skin and powers. He does not invest in her future, having had no intention of sending her to university until Morrible intervenes.
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Additionally, in an attempt to avoid another child with green skin, Governor Thropp forced Melena to consume an unhealthy amount of milk flowers during her second pregnancy. This leads to the premature birth of Nessarose, with her legs not being fully formed. It also leads to Melena’s death, hence why she is not in The Wizard of Oz. While he caused this himself, Governor Thropp blames Elphaba for her death and Nessarose’s disability. He does not want to be part of Elphaba’s life, and once she is away at school, he is out of the picture, only communicating with her through letters.
Furthermore, Elphaba and Nessarose’s father is not present in The Wizard of Oz because the latter takes over his position of power in Munchkinland. In the film Wicked, the governor appears to suffer a heart attack or stroke, which opens the door for Nessarose to inherit his position, which she holds in The Wizard of Oz. This also sets up her role in Wicked: Part 2 as an antagonistic force against Elphaba, the fallout of their mostly friendly relationship in Wicked.
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Source: AARP The Magazine
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44 8/10 Wicked PG
Wicked adapts the Broadway musical into a two-part film, following the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, born with green skin, and Glinda, a popular aristocrat, in the Land of Oz. As they navigate their contrasting paths, they evolve into Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Director Jon M. Chu Release Date November 22, 2024 Cast Cynthia Erivo , Ariana Grande , Michelle Yeoh , Jeff Goldblum , Jonathan Bailey , Ethan Slater , Marissa Bode , Bowen Yang , Bronwyn James , Keala Settle , Peter Dinklage , Aaron Teoh , Grecia De la Paz , Colin Michael Carmichael , Adam James , Andy Nyman , Courtney Mae-Briggs , Sharon D. Clarke , Jenna Boyd Character(s) Elphaba Thropp , Glinda Upland , Madame Morrible , The Wizard , Fiyero Tigelaar , Boq , Nessarose Thropp , Pfannee , ShenShen , Miss Coddle , Doctor Dillamond (voice) , Avaric Tenmeadows , Gilligan , Professor Nikidik , Glinda’s Father , Governor Frexspar Thropp , Melena Thropp , The Midwife Main Genre Musical Studio(s) Marc Platt Productions Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Gregory Maguire , Winnie Holzman , Dana Fox , L. Frank Baum Runtime 160 Minutes Expand