After leaving the cinema having seen Wicked Part 1, and getting over the eventual comedown caused by the high of seeing Cynthia Erivo smash 'Defying Gravity', I was left with a multitude of questions. Like, exactly how long do we have to wait for Part 2? Is it possible to love Jeff Goldblum any more? And crucially does Elphaba die in the next Wicked movie?
As those who have seen Wicked Part 1 will know, the movie opens with Glinda explaining to the people of Munchkin Land Elphaba is dead before she retells the story of their friendship. And as we saw in the original movie The Wizard of Oz, The Wicked Witch of the West, who Elphaba eventually becomes, meets her end when Dorothy melts her with a bucket of water.
Now that I'm incredibly attached to Erivo's version of Elphaba I really don't think I could emotionally cope if Elphaba were to die in Wicked Part 2.
So what will happen to Elphaba in Wicked? Here's what you need to know.
Does Elphaba die in Wicked book?
Ok, so first a little background. The Wicked movie is an adaptation of the Wicked Broadway show by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, which is based on the book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, which is in turn based on the original The Wonderful Wizard of Oz book by L. Frank Baum and the 1939 movie adaptation.
In the original 1939 movie and novel by L. Frank Baum Elphaba, aka The Wicked Witch of the West, dies after Dorothy throws a bucket of water on her and she melts instantly.
In Maguire's novel she meets a similar fate. Elphaba accidentally sets herself on fire when Dorothy comes to apologise for killing Nessarose. Trying to help Elphaba, Dorothy throws a bucket of water on her to stop the fire but it ends up killing Elphaba, as the water is fatal to witches.
Does Elphaba die in the Wicked musical?
Thankfully in the musical Broadway production Elphaba does not die.
Instead when Dorothy throws the bucket of water on her it appears Elphaba has died, leaving behind just her pointy hat and the bottle of her mother's elixir.
However, it turns out she has actually faked her own death and is hiding under a trapdoor. Fiyero, who has now been turned into a scarecrow, visits the scene of Elphaba's "death" and discovers her there.
The two depart Oz together, with Glinda having no idea both Fiyero and Elphaba are alive.
So, will Elphaba die in the Wicked movie?
So far the Wicked movie has been an incredibly faithful adaptation of the musical, with Wicked Part 1 following much of the first act of the stage show.
And so given this, we'd expect when the second movie comes out in November 2025, it'll likely follow the plot of act two, and will hopefully end with Elphaba and Fiyero surviving and leaving Oz together 💚.
Wicked Part 1 is in cinemas now
