L to R: Marissa Bode is Nessarose and Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in WICKED. Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures
A storm will be brewing in Oz when fans return to the world of Wicked on the big screen later this year.
“Wicked 2 is definitely a lot darker in a lot of ways,” Marissa Bode, who stars as Elphaba’s sister Nessarose in the two-part movie musical adaptation, exclusively told Us Weekly of the upcoming sequel, Wicked: For Good. “So, I’m excited for that aspect of it.”
Without spoiling what’s to come, Bode, 24, told Us she’s just as excited to see “what all the other cast members do with their character arcs, adding, “There’s a time jump for sure, and I’m excited to see visually – because I haven’t really seen any of the footage yet – how the characters have changed for good or maybe not for good.”
For now, she’s remaining tight-lipped on what For Good details she can and can’t share. “I can’t say. Not yet,” she quipped. “I signed an NDA.”
Universal Pictures Wicked: Part One changed Us for good, and the second half is sure to do the same. The first of the two-part Wicked movie adaptation, released in November 2024, brought the beloved Broadway show to life on the big screen. Starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, the story […]
Wicked, which hit theaters in November 2024, follows the events of the Broadway musical’s first act as Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda’s (Ariana Grande) relationship evolves from rival roommates to unlikely friends. (The musical is based on the book of the same name by Gregory Maguire, which is an imagined prequel to L. Frank Baum‘s The Wizard of Oz, the source material for the beloved 1939 film.)
Like the original show, Wicked: For Good will pick up some time after Elphaba belts “Defying Gravity” and flees the Emerald City to continue her work helping the animals of Oz. The sequel, which will follow the story of the musical’s Act 2, will continue to explore Elphaba and Glinda’s complicated dynamic as they find themselves on opposing sides as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch, respectively.
Marissa Bode Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images
In addition to making her feature film debut in Wicked, Bode also made history as the first wheelchair-using actress to portray Nessarose. While working with the film’s star-studded cast was a memorable experience for Bode, one of her favorite moments with her costars happened off-set.
“Probably [when I was] with Ari and Johnny [Bailey] going to see Beyoncé,” she told Us of attending the Renaissance World Tour with her castmates. “That was fun. That was really fun.”
With Wicked: For Good still months away from its release, Bode is already envisioning her next career steps. “I want to try a little bit of everything, honestly,” she shared. “But I love silly, goofy, little coming-of-age stuff. I also love indie projects – A24. A24, if you’re listening, hire your girl!”
Wicked: For Good will feature a few new songs – including one cowritten by Erivo, 38 – as well as make some changes to Nessarose’s story. Spoilers for the Wicked musical: In Act 2, Elphaba grants Nessarose the ability to walk by enchanting her pair of silver slippers.
L to R: Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba and Ariana Grande is Glinda in WICKED. Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures
Bode previously revealed that the story will be altered in the upcoming film, “I wasn’t there for the actual script change,” she told People in December 2024, adding that director Jon M. Chu told her, “’Hey, we changed this part in this way just so that it felt less like a fixing moment.’”
The story change will focus less on Nessarose “pleading for a disability to be fixed” and instead “on the magic in general and the magic of the story,” Bode explained.
Wicked: For Good hits theaters on November 21.
With reporting by Mariel Turner
