Jon M. Chu reveals shocking change he made to 'Wicked: For Good'

In a surprising move Jon M.Chu has shaken things up by removing the iconic Defying Gravity from Wicked: For Good.

The sequel originally was set to kick off with a new version of the fan favourite song that closed 2024’s Wicked, but after test screenings, the 46-year-old director made the decision to scrap it, because there was no reason to visit the first film again, saying, "We don’t need to go back.”

Talking to Collider, he explained that, "What I had done in that first screening was I dropped us back into Defying Gravity."

"We ended Defying Gravity again, and we then catapulted in, just to get people back in it."

He initially believed that the audiences would need a reminder of Elphaba, (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda’s, (Ariana Grande), bond before moving into a new chapter. 

But after the test screening, he came to the realization that viewers were already invested and connected and didn’t really need a reminder.

"What I found out is we don't need it. We don't need to go back," Jon M. admitted.

“Having Defying Gravity, that sense at the beginning of this movie, doesn't help us. We lived it. We have been processing that. Now let's move forward.”

He also teased that “the stakes are way higher” in the upcoming sequel, as it dives deeper into the intense and complicated bond between the two leading characters.

For the unversed, Wicked: For Good, sequel to Wicked, is set to hit the big screens on November 21, 2025.