Wicked Cut! Glinda Scene Axed Despite SNL Star Cameo

Thescreescore – Jon M. Chu, the director of Wicked: For Good, has revealed a significant scene featuring Glinda, played by Ariana Grande, was cut from the final film, despite initially including appearances from Pfannee (Bowen Yang) and ShenShen (Bronwyn James), characters reprised from Wicked. The decision to excise the scene, which involved the sycophantic duo aiding Glinda in warning Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) of an impending mob, was made to keep the focus squarely on Glinda’s pivotal character arc and her new song, "The Girl in the Bubble," according to an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

The highly anticipated conclusion to the Wicked saga, Wicked: For Good, is poised to be a major box office draw when it hits theaters in late 2025. The film picks up with Elphaba’s defiance of the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) and Glinda’s complicated role within the Wizard’s regime. While Pfannee and ShenShen, Glinda’s school friends, are present in the film, their initial involvement in Glinda’s act of redemption was ultimately deemed a distraction.

Chu explained that he considered having the pair assist Glinda, perhaps by securing a horse or distracting soldiers, but realized it detracted from Glinda’s personal journey. This moment of Glinda choosing to warn Elphaba is crucial to her development, and the director wanted to ensure it remained her sole decision.

Despite the cut scene, For Good subtly hints at a moral compass within Pfannee and ShenShen, showing their discomfort with the violent mob targeting Elphaba. Chu emphasized his desire to portray the younger generation of Oz as having a conscience, even if they were morally ambiguous in the previous film. He stated, "We added that for them because I was like, ‘Are they in on this or not? I really don’t want them to be in on this… I wanted that group of students, no matter how good or bad they were in the last movie, to have the conscience here.’"

Chu has previously emphasized the theme of choice within the film, where each character confronts their reality and decides which path to follow. Glinda chooses to help Elphaba, while Boq (Ethan Slater) embraces hate. Chu believes that everyone possesses both good and wicked qualities, and it is their daily choices that define them. The subtle unease displayed by Pfannee and ShenShen serves as a "breadcrumb" hinting at their potential for redemption later in the film.

Wicked: For Good, starring Erivo, Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, and Marissa Bode, is scheduled to enchant audiences in theaters everywhere November 21, 2025.