Summary

Wicked achieved massive success as the highest-grossing musical adaptation, earning ten Oscar nominations.
Chenoweth confirmed her and Menzel's absence in Wicked: For Good, passing the torch to the new cast.
Despite the absence of original stars, Wicked: For Good promises to deliver the remaining story with returning cast members.

Wicked: For Good is sure to take over the box office when it releases in theaters later this year. It'll have to manage that feat without two stars from the first film that have defined the franchise for more than 20 years.

Everyone assumed that Wicked would be a big deal when an adaptation of the famous Broadway musical finally hit the big screen in November 2024. That being said, not even Universal Pictures themselves could have seen Wicked turning into a genuine pop culture phenomenon in the way that it did. Not only did Wicked bring in an astounding $750+ million at the worldwide box office—becoming the highest-grossing musical adaptation in history, by the way—it also garnered a whopping ten Academy Award nominations in the process. It turns out that adapting one of the most beloved musicals of the 21st century and teaming two electric, angel-voiced actors in Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande with a supporting cast including Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, and Peter Dinklage was an incredible idea. Who would've guessed?

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By Kelly Coffey-Behrens

Erivo and Grande will have to carry the load this time around without the two stars of the original Broadway musical in tow. When walking the red carpet at the Tonys last weekend, Kristin Chenoweth was asked by Extra if she and Idina Menzel would be appearing in Wicked: For Good. After all, the pair did cameo in Wicked, to the delight of fans around the globe. Her response was pretty straightforward: "We are not." Well, okay then! Consider the record set straight on that particular one.

"But, you know what, Idina and I feel really good about it. It's their time. We had our moment. And we were very honored they included us, but it's their turn."

Kristin Chenoweth And Idina Menzel Will Not Be Showing Up In Wicked: For Good

Chenoweth, ever the playful spirit, went on to elaborate how annoying it was to have to keep the secret about having a cameo in 2024's Wicked: "In London, with Idina? We were hiding out the whole time!" It feels safe to assume that the West End faithful surely would've put two and two together had they spotted Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel together in London when Wicked was shooting. That isn't exactly the most difficult puzzle to solve. Of course, Chenoweth and Menzel didn't have super important roles to play in the first Wicked film. Their appearance was something of a glorified cameo that served to pay homage to their original stage play from 2003.

Wicked: For Good is set to tell the second half of the Broadway play's story, leading up to Dorothy Gale's famous arrival in Oz from 1939's The Wizard of Oz. Although it won't star Chenoweth and Menzel, there is plenty of returning star power to go around. The primary cast from the first film—Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum, among others—is set close out the famous tale and well assuredly do their utmost to delight the rabid fandom when the film releases later this year.

Wicked: For Good is set to release in theaters on November 21, 2025.

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