The Real Reason Dorothy Barely Appears in Wicked For Good
Don’t expect to see Dorothy’s face in Wicked: For Good. The sequel to 2024’s Wicked lands in US theaters this November from Universal, adapting the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman and reuniting Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande—while keeping Oz’s most famous visitor largely out of frame.
Wicked: For Good is closing out the story this fall, and the movie is taking a very particular approach to the most famous girl in gingham. If you were waiting to see who they cast as Dorothy, well... about that.
So, is Dorothy actually in this thing?
Yes and no. Empire Magazine got the scoop: Dorothy is present in For Good, but not in a way that turns her into a full-on character. Think more of a ripple effect than a co-lead. The plan is to keep her mostly at a distance — wide shots, back-of-the-head angles — which likely means we never get a clean look at her face. It is a very inside-baseball solution to the impossible question of "Who gets to be Dorothy now?" and honestly, it makes sense.
"I think that’s such a wonderful thing to do, because then everyone gets to keep the Dorothy that they know," Cynthia Erivo said.
For anyone keeping score: yes, this is the same Dorothy Judy Garland made iconic in 1939's The Wizard of Oz. For Good just chooses to let her presence be felt without recasting the face burned into film history.
Glinda is not exactly thrilled
Ariana Grande says Glinda has a bit of an eye roll where Dorothy is concerned. Not evil, just... selective priorities.
"She could have told her to take the Emerald City train! But she didn’t." Grande joked, adding that she leaned into Glinda’s little bit of shadiness whenever Dorothy pops up.
Quick refresher on the movie
Wicked: For Good is the second half of Universal's two-part adaptation of the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman. It follows 2024’s Wicked, with Jon M. Chu back directing. Cynthia Erivo returns as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, picking up where Part 1 left off.
- Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp
- Ariana Grande as Glinda Upland
- Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar
- Jeff Goldblum as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz
- Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp
- Ethan Slater as Boq Woodsman
- Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible
- Bowen Yang as Pfannee
- Bronwyn James as ShenShen
- Sharon D. Clarke as the voice of Dulcibear
Release timing
Wicked: For Good hits US theaters on November 21, 2025.