Wicked: For Good director explains why Dorothy's face will never be shown

30 October 2025, 11:39

Jon M. Chu confirms Dorothy's face will not be shown in Wicked: For Good. Picture: Universal Pictures

By Katie Louise Smith

Jon M. Chu confirms Dorothy's face will not be shown in Wicked: For Good—here's why...

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Wicked: For Good is set to follow the stage musical's lead when it comes to Dorothy's appearance.

Originally portrayed by the legendary Judy Garland in 1939's The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy is one of the most iconic characters in cinema history.

In the Wicked stage musical, Dorothy is never seen—audiences only ever see her shadow despite her being pivotal to Elphaba's story. Fans thought the films were going to switch that up when she was shown at the start of Wicked, and then teased in more detail in the Wicked: For Good trailers.

However, director Jon M. Chu has now confirmed that we will not actually see Dorothy's face in the film... at all! And it's all for a very specific reason.

Read more: Who plays Dorothy in Wicked Part 2? The Alisha Weir rumours explained
Read more: Is Dorothy in Wicked? Director reveals how she will be included in Part 2

Dorothy will appear in Wicked Part 2. Picture: Universal Pictures via Alamy

Dorothy's face will not be shown in Wicked: For Good because she is simply a "pawn" in the story of Elphaba and Glinda.

Explaining the decision to PEOPLE, Jon M. Chu said: “I didn’t want to step on who you think Dorothy is in whatever story that you came into this with. [Wicked: For Good] is still Elphaba and Glinda’s journey, and she is a pawn in the middle of all of it."

Earlier this year, Cynthia Erivo also confirmed that Dorothy will remain faceless in an interview with Empire, allowing audiences to fill in the gaps based on the visuals of her iconic blue and white gingham dress and braids.

"I think that’s such a wonderful thing to do because then everyone gets to keep the Dorothy that they know," Cynthia said.

Wicked fans are convinced Alisha Weir is playing Dorothy in Wicked: For Good. Picture: Getty

As for the actress who will be playing Dorothy? It still has yet to be confirmed but fans are convinced that it's Alisha Weir.

Alisha, who is best known for her role as Matilda in Matilda the Musical and Abigail in Abigail, sparked a massive theory that she's Dorothy in the film thanks to her appearance on the red carpet at the Wicked premiere in London, where she wore silver shoes like Dorothy wears in the film.

On top of that, Alisha's sister Katie shared a TikTok of herself reacting to the Wicked: For Good trailer, and fans noticed that she smiled every time Dorothy was shown on screen.

When directly asked about the speculation, Alisha herself told Goss.ie: "I have heard, I have seen the rumours for sure! I mean, how cool would that be? I'm such a big fan of 'Wicked' and I'm such a big fan of Ariana Grande, Cynthia and Jon Chu but that would be amazing."