Wicked: For Good ends with a bittersweet goodbye from Elphaba and Glinda, where they go their separate ways to the tune of “For Good.” But soon after, Dorothy dumps a bucket of water on the Wicked Witch, and she presumably melts away. Little does everyone in Oz know that Elphaba didn’t really die; she actually ran away with Fiyero/The Scarecrow. However, I've been wondering: Does Glinda know about her friend's true fate?
That question is never truly answered in one of the biggest movie releases of 2025, leaving the answer up to the audience’s interpretation. Elphaba actress Cynthia Erivo just shared her personal opinion on the fan debate, saying this:
I don’t think she knows. I don’t think she knows at all. In fact, I would put my money on it that Glinda does not know that Elphaba is alive. I think that she needs her to believe that she’s not alive.
In a new interview with Variety, Erivo revealed she’s in the camp of those who think that Glinda is completely unaware that her friend didn't die at the hands of Dorothy. It’s definitely a more tragic reading of the movie than the other option, but the Wicked star has a good point that it’s perhaps in the best interest of Glinda not to know.
Director Jon M. Chu has also been asked about this aspect of Wicked: For Good, but he chose not to share his own feelings on the ending. He said that he has a “definitive idea” in his head, but prefers “everyone to be able to interpret it how they want to.” If you look at Wicked: For Good at face value, there’s no reason for Glinda to believe Elphaba is alive, considering what she saw and how she reacted after Dorothy poured the water on her. But one could argue that she might have an inkling since she is a powerful witch.
Cynthia Erivo also shared her thoughts on another aspect of the Wicked: For Good ending. In her words:
Even with the book opening, I think the book opening for her at the end is more a sign that she’s worthy of the magic that that book has, which is what Elphaba told her: you have it, you have to learn how to use it now. You have to be the good that changes things. It has to mean something, and you have to figure out how to work with this piece of magic. You haven’t had magic until now. Now you have the opportunity to find a way to use it, to find a way to have it.
Erivo said she thinks when she gives Glinda the Grimmerie, the Wicked Witch “doesn’t need the book anymore” because she’s “already in possession of her magic”. It makes for a sweet full-circle moment for Ariana Grande’s character, who has had trouble tapping into her magic since she was a kid. I know one of the biggest surprises for me was Glinda’s stronger character arc in For Good amidst a host of new additions to the hit musical.
Wicked: For Good is in the top 15 highest-grossing movies of the year, with a $475 million worldwide gross, per Box Office Mojo. The sequel may not have been as acclaimed as its predecessor, but it still had a lot of love around it – our Wicked: For Good review gave it 4 out of 5 stars. What Glinda knows or doesn’t know isn’t the only loose end of the movie, but it is kind of fun that the movie starts a conversation about what happens next.
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