Dorothy Gale has a role inWicked, which could be a surprise considering she does not have much of one in the Broadway musical. The 2024 movie is Hollywood’s attempt at bringing the popular musical to a new audience and expanding the world ofThe Wizard of Ozin the process.Wickedfollows familiar characterslike Elphaba and Galinda in the years leading up to Dorothy’s arrival in the Land of Oz. That is why there was largely an expectation that the movie would not include the character made famous by Judy Garland back in 1939’s iconic movie.
It has been confirmed repeatedly that Dorothy and otherWizard of Ozcharacters are inWicked. Some of them are understandable given the character’s backstories and timelines, as well as knowing who is involved in the Broadway musical’s rendition of the story. However, Dorothy is primed for a much bigger role inWickedthan she ever had on the stage production.This is especially surprising sinceWickedsplits the story into two movies, meaning most, if not all, events should predate Dorothy’s coming to the Land of Oz.Her role inWickedis a major change from the musical.
Dorothy Has A Small Role In The Wicked Movie
She’s Been Seen Repeatedly In Oz
TheWickedtrailers have not shied away from teasing Dorothy’s role in the first movie. The first glimpse at her involvement in the movie came with the Super Bowl trailer that Universal released. Dorothy is shown wearingsilver, not ruby, slippersas she gets to the Wizard’s palace.She is accompanied by the Tinman, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion, as well as her trusty dog Toto. A later trailer showed all five characters walking on the yellow brick road to the location, teasing a few different ways that they are involved in the movie.
The various glimpses of Dorothy inWickedhave been small, indicating that she is not in line to have a significant part to play. All shots of her have been from far away, behind, and other angles, precluding the movie from revealing a proper full look at Dorothy. It is not even confirmed who the actresswho plays theWizard of Ozprotagonist in the new movie is. That should be a sign of the size of Dorothy’s role, asWickedlooks to have included the character in a minor capacity, likely to help answer questions about where she is during the film’s events.
Dorothy’s Role In The Wicked Broadway Musical Explained
She’s Never Shown
Wicked’s usage of Dorothy is different from how the Broadway musical handled the character.The musical version ofWickedhas never included Dorothy. The stage productions have always kept the story focused on Elphaba and Galinda, and that emphasis meant not bringing the recognizable Kansas girl into the picture. There are still a few references to Dorothy in the Broadway musical version ofWicked. The closest the production comes to showing her is when the silhouette of a girl is featured as water is tossed onto The Wicked With Of The West.
If The Wicked Movie Ignores This Actor, I Won’t Be Able To Forgive It
The new Wicked movie features a new cast as well, but the film should celebrate its origins by giving both of its first leading ladies cameos.
There is room for Dorothy’s involvement inWickedbased on the timeline that the Broadway musical establishes. The story primarily takes place in the years before she comes to Oz, exploring Elphaba and Galinda’s relationship and the state of Oz under the Wizard. However, there is a point where the narrative begins to overlap with Dorothy’s arrival and the events seen inThe Wizard of Oz. This is when references to the original movie production become a part of the musical.Wickedis changing the musicalto make Dorothy appear earlier than she should.
Wicked Can’t Ignore The Wizard Of Oz Movie & Dorothy As Easily
Expectations Are Different
While the Broadway musical version ofWickedmay have been able to get away without including Dorothy and other familiar characters, the movie adaptation has a different set of expectations. There will be some thought that the film is directly connected to 1939’sThe Wizard of Oz. That will make audiences have Judy Garland’s Dorothy in their mind even more, especially as they see the origins of the characters she interacted with.It would be much more confusing forWickedto ignore Dorothyand leave audiences with questions about her whereabouts than to just include her.
Wicked is not an official prequel to 1939’s The Wizard of Oz
The biggest question that is currently left is howWickedwill incorporate Dorothy into the story to make it work. Her presence alongside the Scarecrow and a grown-up Cowardly Lion suggest that these sequences are set well after the main story that the first movie will cover. It is possible thatWickedwill use Dorothy and the familiarity of her story as an introduction to the backstory that the Broadway musical brought to the franchise. That could limit her appearance to an opening sequence that then flashes back to Elphaba and Galinda’s history.
