Everything we learned from the final Wicked For Good trailer

Posted on Jun 6, 2025 | By Sian McBride (Updated on Oct 1, 2025)

The fnal Wicked trailer has landed, and fans are dissecting every frame. From long-anticipated musical moments to subtle nods to both the original stage musical and The Wizard of Oz, the trailer is packed with Easter eggs, big-screen reinterpretations, and emotional hints at what’s to come.

Here’s a breakdown of everything we’ve learned:

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

We already know Elphaba is a fully paid-up member of PETA. A passionate animal rights advocate, she forms a bond with her professor Doctor Dillamond and later frees a caged lion cub. She’s appalled that people in power want to silence animals and vows to use hers to amplify theirs.

On stage, this cause fades into the background during Act 2, as the plot focuses more on her tangled relationships with Glinda and Fiyero, her growing command of the Grimmerie, and her showdown with the Wizard. Apart from the ever-present flying monkeys and a cheeky flash of a certain yellow tail, animals all but vanish.

Not so in the trailer. We see herds of bulls, horses, and giraffes stampeding through Oz. It’s a visual payoff for Elphaba’s first-act activism — and a sign of the chaos she’s causing. Citizens, keen to avoid a fate like Mufasa (too soon?) are seen fleeing in fear, while the Wizard, ever the spin doctor, is likely preparing to frame Elphaba’s liberation as an uprising of destruction.

You’re Invited to the Wedding of the Year

We’ve always wondered what Glinda's wedding dress would look like, and the film delivers. With a mile-long train and trained butterflies fluttering around her like a thousand bridesmaids, it's every bit as dramatic as we hoped. But despite the spectacle, Fiyero, her groom, doesn’t look entirely comfortable at the altar. Is it just a case of wedding nerves, or is there something else at play?

This wedding never takes place on stage, but in the film it introduces new conflict and emotional weight. Fiyero (newly appointed head guard of the palace) is visibly torn between love, duty, and truth. The tension between Elphaba and Glinda only deepens as they take opposing sides. Is this a union of hearts, or a PR stunt engineered by the Wizard to maintain control?

Glinda Gets Her Bubble

One of the trailer’s most playful moments shows Glinda officially receiving her bubble from Madame Morrible. The bubble even comes with a “tap to bubble” button, which Glinda presses repeatedly, delighting in popping in and out of it like a new toy. Her excitement is met with a dry smile from the headmistress, who teases that it’s really the wand that “sells the look.” It’s a charming beat that fleshes out Glinda’s bubbly persona, whilst also emphasising the headteachers disdain for Shiz University’s most popular student.

Familiar Faces Return

Though she isn’t seen in the trailer, Dulcibear (played by Sharon D Clarke) is set to return. Could this hint at a flashback to Elphaba’s childhood - something we only saw for the first time in the first Wicked film - or is she now part of the animal rebellion?

The ensemble also includes some familiar stage talent: former West End Glinda, Emily Tierney, will make an appearance, whilst stage legend Liz Izen appears as a fervent "Glinda Fan."

And of course, we also spot glimpses of Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow. Like in the first film, their cameos are brief but significant — but don’t worry, we won’t post any spoilers here!

Everything we learned from the final Wicked For Good trailer

A Snippet of a New Song

The stage musical has been delighting audiences for 22 years, so any new music is a big deal. And in the new Wicked: For Good trailer we are introduced to not one, but two original songs: one for Glinda and one for Elphaba.

Universal have confirmed that Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba will debut “No Place Like Home,” while Ariana Grande’s Glinda will perform “The Girl in the Bubble.” As brand-new compositions, both qualify for Oscar consideration in the Best Original Song category - giving Wicked: For Good a shot at Academy Awards glory in addition to its expected box office success.

These songs promise to deepen our understanding of both women’s inner worlds, adding new emotional layers to already iconic roles.

It’s Full of Twist(er)s

In a clever visual homage to The Wizard of Oz, we see Madame Morrible conjuring the infamous twisters that send Dorothy to Oz and lead to the Wicked Witch of the East’s demise. One eerie shot also shows Dorothy stepping into a puddle, wearing none other than Nessarose’s silver slippers — a subtle but ominous nod to some characters' fates.

We also see Elphaba’s broom-scribed message "Our Wizard Lies" written in a stormy sky; this mirrors the "Surrender Dorothy" warning from the 1939 film.

The House, the Wand, and a Warning

We also catch a striking shot of Dorothy’s crushed house. Elphaba is turned away from the camera, but her words to Glinda — who stands directly before the wreckage — cut through: she warns that Glinda has no true power, only the illusion granted by her wand. It’s a new exchange that reframes the balance of power between the two witches.

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Shoes

Another blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment shows Glinda lifting a pair of black boots from a display - boots that resemble the ones Elphaba wore during her student days in Wicked: Part One.

And speaking of footwear, the trailer finally sees Nessarose wear the famous ruby slippers - kind of. She is seen levitating above the fireplace, her silver shoes reflect the flames and look every inch the famous red shoes.

In the original musical, Nessarose doesn’t float, Elphaba enchants Nessa’s shoes, allowing her to walk unaided. Here, the sequence has been reimagined to suit Marissa Bode, who plays Nessarose and uses a wheelchair in real life, suggesting a more sensitive and authentic approach to the character’s transformation.

Wands at the Ready in Munchkinland

The trailer offers a glimpse of Glinda and Elphaba in a showdown on Munchkinland soil, their wands crossed and wielded like duelling swords. The confrontation is a familiar one from the stage version, but here it looks bigger in scale and intensity - suggesting the filmmakers have expanded the conflict for the screen.

Dorothy Starts Her Journey Down the Yellow Brick Road

Elphaba gently touches a pile of golden bricks. Fans will remember that it was Elphaba who picked the yellow hue in the Wizard’s model of Oz, during one of the final scenes in Part One.

Now we see Dorothy and her companions walking the completed road, signaling that years have passed (and that roadworks in Oz move only slightly faster than ours). It’s a powerful connection between the two timelines, tying together the rise of Elphaba with the arrival of Dorothy.

Can’t Want to Wait Until 21 November?

You don’t have to! If you can’t wait to see how Elphaba and Glinda’s story ends, you can catch it live on stage at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre. Experience the full magic of Wicked in its original form before it hits the big screen - and discover why audiences have been returning to Oz for over two decades.

Everything we learned from the final Wicked For Good trailer

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

You’re Invited to the Wedding of the Year

Glinda Gets Her Bubble