Wicked: For Good director explains why he scrapped "darker" ending
25 November 2025, 12:57 | Updated: 25 November 2025, 15:01
Where do Elphaba and Fiyero go at the end of Wicked? Wicked: For Good almost had a completely different ending to what we see in the film and the original musical.
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Wicked: For Good director Jon M. Chu has opened up about the scrapped original ending they planned for the movie.
If you've watched Wicked on stage, you will already know exactly how Elphaba and Glinda's dramatic story ends. Act II of the iconic musical explores what happens to Elphaba and Glinda when their timeline crosses with the tale of The Wizard of Oz. Bar some changes, Wicked: For Good stays pretty loyal to the beloved musical that it's based on.
However, Jon M. Chu has now revealed that there was an alternate "darker and scarier" ending to Wicked: For Good.
- Read more: What does Glinda whisper to Elphaba? Wicked: For Good director explains final shot
- Read more: Can Glinda do magic? Ariana Grande explains Wicked: For Good's surprise ending
Watch the final Wicked: For Good trailer
At the end of Wicked: For Good, Elphaba flees Oz with Fiyero after faking her own death. In the final shots of the film, we see Elphaba and Fiyero walking out into the desert space surrounding Oz to start a new life together. Meanwhile, Glinda, believing they're dead, commits to being good and discovers that she can now access magic powers.
The ending is hopeful and the desert space isn't threatening which is in stark contrast to what people might imagine from Frank L. Baum's original The Wonderful Wizard of Oz book. The desert in the novel is called the Deadly Desert and described as a desolate place where no life can thrive instead of a glittery space of potential.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Jon M. Chu confirmed that they originally explored "versions of that desert that were a lot darker and scarier — like walking into your fears." When Elphaba discovers animals fleeing Oz in the film, she actively warns them how dangerous the desert is rumoured to be.
Where do Elphaba and Fiyero go at the end of Wicked: For Good?
Ultimately, Jon decided that he wanted to end the movie on a more positive note: "[The desert] is not dead space, it's possibility. No one has explored that horizon because everyone's too scared."
He ended by saying: "Let's put sparkles in that sand!" The glitter is supposed to represent the hope of what Elphaba and Fiyero can make of their new life outside of Oz.
What lies beyond the desert is unclear but it's possible that Elphaba uses her powers to start a new community with Fiyero and animals that escaped Oz before her.
Read more Wicked news here:
- Does Wicked: For Good have an end credits scene? Here's what to look out for
- Wicked: For Good finally reveals mystery actress who plays Dorothy
- When will Wicked: For Good be on streaming? How to watch online
- Every actress who auditioned for Elphaba in the Wicked movie
- Every actress who auditioned for Glinda in the Wicked movie
WATCH: Wicked cast vs. 'The Most Impossible Wicked Quiz'
Wicked Cast vs. 'The Most Impossible Wicked Quiz'
