Here's how the 'Wicked' movie cast compares to the Broadway musical cast

The 'Wicked' movies are bringing a new cast — and a new take — to this beloved story!

Directed by Jon M. Chu, the two-part Wicked cinematic experience will introduce fans of Gregory Maguire's The Wicked Years books and Stephen Schwartz's hit Broadway musical Wicked to a new cast of actors bringing beloved characters like Elphaba, Galinda, and Fiyero to life!

As we (impatiently) wait for both Wicked films to premiere in theaters, let's take a look at how this star-studded cast compares to the phenomenal actors who originated these roles in the hit musical that opened on Broadway in 2003.

Elphaba — Idina Menzel vs. Cynthia Erivo

Elphaba Thropp, otherwise referred to as the Wicked Witch of the West, is the main character in the Wicked books, musical, and movie. Unlike the classic 1939 The Wizard of Oz film that portrayed this character as a nameless evil witch, Wicked reframes the story to explain how — and why — she got to that point.

The wickedly talented Idina Menzel originated Elphaba on Broadway and transformed this green witch into one of the most beloved characters in pop culture history. In the movies, Elphaba was played by another creative powerhouse who brought her own take to the story: Cynthia Erivo.

Idina Menzel

Other than originating Elphaba on Broadway, Idina Menzel is best known for playing Maureen Johnson in Rent and voicing Elsa in the hit Disney animated feature Frozen. In 2022, the Tony Award-winning actress, singer, and Broadway icon was officially named a "Disney Legend."

Cynthia Erivo

Prior to getting cast as Elphaba for the Wicked movies, Cynthia Erivo had already won an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony for her work in The Color Purple musical on Broadway. Erivo is only an Oscar away from EGOT-ing, and was also named Icon of the Year on the 2024 Out100 list.

Galinda — Kristin Chenoweth vs. Ariana Grande

The Wicked books and musical first introduce this character as Galinda Upland. Over the course of the story, however, she finesses her way into high society, renames herself as Glinda, and rebrands as the Good Witch.

Kristin Chenoweth originated Glinda on Broadway's Wicked, and the challenge of turning her into a likable character — despite her eccentric quirks and frivolous aspirations — cannot be understated. Ariana Grande took on that challenge for the Wicked movies, and clearly also brought to life a three-dimensional character that audiences will connect with for years to come.

Kristin Chenoweth

From stage productions like You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown to TV shows like Pushing Daisies, Kristin Chenoweth is a Tony Award and Emmy Award winner who's brought to life a long list of iconic characters throughout her career… including the one and only Glinda!

Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande has been one of the world's most popular (pun intended) and successful pop stars for over a decade now. Between releasing Billboard Hot 100 no. 1 songs like "Thank U, Next," "7 Rings," "Yes, And?," and "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)," Grande has publicly declared her deep love of Wicked many times, which means that playing Glinda is a real dream come true for her.

Fiyero — Norbert Leo Butz vs. Jonathan Bailey

Fiyero Tigelaar is the gorgeous, hilarious, and wealthy heartthrob of Wicked. He's not really a studious man, but he does love to have fun, and he feels his emotions very deeply.

Norbert Leo Butz originated the role of Fiyero when the Wicked musical first opened on Broadway. In subsequent years, Butz won two Tony Awards for his performances as Freddy Benson in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and as Carl Hanratty in Catch me If You Can.

The Wicked movies cast Bridgerton and Fellow Travelers superstar Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, and it's hard to think of a better actor to bring this character to life on the big screen. As an out gay actor, Bailey is also bringing even more queerness to the Wicked universe, which just feels correct!

Nessarose — Michelle Federer vs. Marissa Bode

Nessarose Thropp, Elphaba's sister, went through a few changes between the original Wicked novels and the Broadway musical. Generally speaking, this character is perceived as a young girl who has a disability and needs Elphaba's help as they navigate Shiz University.

The Wicked musical featured Michelle Federer as Nessarose in the original Broadway cast. In the movies, newcomer Marissa Bode was cast in the role.

Boq — Christopher Fitzgerald vs. Ethan Slater

The Wicked books treat Boq as a much bigger character than the musical (even if his ultimate fate remains the same). Overall, Boq is a dedicated student at Shiz University who hails from Munchkinland and develops a serious crush on Galinda.

Boq was originally played by Christopher Fitzgerald in the Wicked musical. Over the course of his career, Fitzgerald received a Tony nomination for his performances in Young Frankenstein, Finian's Rainbow, and Waitress.

Ethan Slater, who's also best known for his Broadway credits — such as SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical and Spamalot — was cast to play Boq on the big screen.

Madame Morrible — Carole Shelley vs. Michelle Yeoh

Madame Morrible, the headmistress of Crage Hall at Shiz University, is… well, horrible! There are many layers to this character building a connection with Elphaba, being linked to powerful people in the Land of Oz, and pushing her own self-interests over the course of the story.

The late, great Carole Shelley originated Madame Morrible in the stage production of Wicked. She was also well known for her performances in productions like The Elephant Man, Stepping Out, and Billy Elliot.

To pull off such a grandiose and wonderfully sneaky character in the Wicked films, producers went all out and cast Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Everything Everywhere All At Once) in the role. Talk about a perfect choice!

The Wizard of Oz — Joel Grey vs. Jeff Goldblum

The truth, fantasy, and mythology surrounding the Wizard of Oz has been built for over 100 years since L. Frank Baum's original novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was first published.

Joel Grey played the Wizard of Oz in the original Broadway cast of Wicked. The actor was best known for his performance as the Emcee in Cabaret — in the stage musical and the film — which earned him an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award.

The Wicked movies also delivered a pitch-perfect casting choice for this character: none other than Jeff Goldblum, the legend himself.