The Wizard in the Wicked movie shows a strong hatred of animals, leaving many curious about the reasoning behind those feelings.
Wicked explains the origins of several intriguing plot points in 1939's The Wizard of Oz, including how the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion came to be in this universe.
Led by Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba in the newly released Part 1 and the upcoming Part 2, this prequel also explores real-world allegories throughout its plot. One of those comes through in the film's animal characters, who play important roles as part of the background behind the eventual Wicked Witch.
Why Did the Wizard Want to Silence the Animals?
Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for the Wicked movie and Act 2 of the musical.
One of the most notable plot points in Wicked Part 1 is its talking animal population, highlighted by characters like Peter Dinklage's Dr. Dillamond — a goat who works as a professor at Shiz University.
While the animals simply want to live as equals to humans in the story, Jeff Goldblum's Wizard decides to use them as scapegoats for the people of Oz to hate. As heard in the trailers for Wicked, Goldblum says, "The way to bring folks together is to give them a real good enemy," indicating the animals.
The story implies that Oz's human population blames the animals for the Great Drought that nearly destroyed the Emerald City years ago. Thus, the animals gradually lose their ability to speak and quickly become victims of prejudice from the humans as Oz looks to rebuild as a society.
This is used as a poignant allegory for racism and other forms of prejudice in the real world, as removing the animals' voices strips their means of fighting back. It also allows the Wizard to have more control over them as he continues his long con, making the city believe he has superhuman powers.
What Happens to the Animals in Wicked?
Unfortunately, the animals' fate in Act 2 of the Wicked musical is ambiguous. Instead, the spotlight is on Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba, who is on a path toward becoming the Wicked Witch of the West.
In Act 2, Dr. Dillamond is imprisoned in Oz, and the lion cub, who eventually becomes the Cowardly Lion, is freed and released into the wild (retaining his ability to talk). The flying monkeys are also set free, setting up their path towards working alongside Elphaba in The Wizard of Oz.
The musical also sees Glinda rising to power opposite Elphaba, with many hoping she helps free the animals the way Elphaba hoped would happen earlier in the show.
The second Wicked movie should have the chance to show these moments in great detail, particularly since it was left such a mystery in the original stage play. After Part 1 included some new material with exciting cameos, its sequel should keep that trend up with more thrills and intense moments.
Wicked Part 1 is playing in theaters worldwide. Wicked Part 2 will soar onto the big screen on November 21, 2025.
