Can Elphaba Fly Without Her Broom In Wicked?

The journey from celebrated revisionist tale to Broadway sensation to box office phenomenon with 10 Academy Awards nominations has been a long one, but it's safe to say the cultural footprint of "Wicked" has grown exponentially over the past few months. Though we still have many months ahead before we see how director Jon M. Chu adapts the second half of the stage show to the screen with "Wicked: For Good," its pop-u-lar-ity shows no signs of slowing down. In the meantime, however, the "not Part 1" that we do have culminates in Cynthia Erivo delivering a show-stopping performance of "Defying Gravity."

Given the already excessive runtime of "Wicked," it makes sense that the story's centerpiece number, in which Erivo's Elphaba embraces her title as the Wicked Witch of the West, would take a bow here. Though there's a whole lot of story left, there's also a great catharsis in the film's ending giving Elphaba her long-earned moment of triumph. She finally takes flight after being grounded by the backdoor scheming of her mentor Madam Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) and the duplicitous Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum). But how, exactly, does Elphaba's sky exodus come about?

When Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of the West flew in the MGM classic "The Wizard of Oz," there was no real indication that she could get off the ground without the use of her broomstick. Countless other films and television shows have basically depicted the household appliance as a car for witches; they can't really fly anywhere without it. Though it's never explicitly stated, however, Chu made sure to visually depict Elphaba's seemingly newfound ability as something that was within her the whole time.

"Defying Gravity" is not only a song about Elphaba literally taking flight, but it's also about her releasing the internal shackles keeping her from realizing her own internal capabilities. In an interview with IndieWire, Chu talked about how mapping out the finale came with its own set of complications regarding Elphaba's big moment:

"It felt she didn't earn flight; one of our producers David Nicksay said to me, 'There was something wrong. I know everybody liked it, but there's something missing. And I really bang my head against the wall for a while, and realized it has to be from her."

When Elphaba reads from the Grimmerie earlier in the film, she inadvertently reads a spell that violently bestows wings upon the mute monkey guards of the Wizard's palace. So, she reads it from it again, hoping to get it right this time and escape with Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera) through her own set of wings. But rather than sprouting a feathery exit strategy, the broomstick used to keep the Wizard's guards out of the tower is summoned instead. It's an impactful moment when Elphaba takes a leap of faith with it and doesn't immediately take off. She's instead met with the reflective visage of her younger self as she free falls outside of the palace. According to Chu, it's only when Elphaba believes that her salvation is making peace with who she is and what she believes in that she's able to truly ascend above the Emerald City:

"It can't just be anger for the Wizard [that motivates flight] because that's not what the movie has been about' it's been her own self-worth and not realizing she has to prove herself to anybody."

Chu pretty much confirmed that Elphaba's broomstick is merely an extension of the magic already present within her. We see throughout the film that Elphaba's magical capabilities are astonishing to the people of Oz. In addition to acts of divination, which show her obscured visions of a not-so-happy future in "Wicked: For Good," she demonstrates many startling displays of telekinetic prowess. Elphaba can even move objects and people with her heart, both with love and anger, so it only makes sense that she could soar among the clouds.

The most prominent visual hint (in a not so visually prominent image devoid of contrast) comes during the final beats of "The Wizard and I." Elphaba sings with great enthusiasm about finally being accepted by the people of Oz under the Wizard's guidance and, just for a moment, leaps in the air. It's a great display of power, but she doesn't quite ascend because there's still a part of her that believes the systems that ostracize her because of her green skin will ultimately be her salvation.

Chu knew this sequence was a great place to place some visual foreshadowing (via IndieWire):

"We have to plant flight [in 'Wizard and I'], because what I found in 'Defying Gravity' is that it can't be unearned; she can fly, when did that happen? Not in the end, because we'll plant these little moments of her relation to gravity ... and show her slow ascent."

If the broomstick was the only thing that made Elphaba fly, she likely wouldn't have fumbled out of the window. It's not just a tool, but a symbolic token of using the one item keeping the wizard's guards at bay to her advantage. She invites the challenge of them trying to keep up with her and makes what could have been another "here's how this iconic character got one of their trademark accessories" moment into something special.

"Wicked: For Good" hits theaters on November 21, 2025.