Stephen Schwartz Confirms Nessarose Story Changes in WICKED: FOR GOOD

During a recent interview with CBN, Wicked songwriter Stephen Schwartz offered new details regarding the character of Nessarose and previewed how the film makes some changes to her character from the stage musical. 

In the original show, Nessarose gains the ability to walk without a wheelchair after Elphaba enchants her shoes. Actress Marissa Bode, who plays Nessarose in the film and uses a wheelchair herself, previously indicated that this scene had been adjusted, which Schwartz has now confirmed.

"Winnie [Holzman] and I learned a few things from the PWD community. It was important to them that it was clear that their lives would not be 'solved if they could just walk. And that was certainly never the message of the show, because Nessa’s life is not solved, quite the opposite. But we wanted to be respectful and still find a way to tell our story," he said. 

Schwartz also revealed that a new character has been added who takes a romantic interest in Nessa, though she doesn't reciprocate. "There's even another guy in there who likes Nessa, but she can't see him. I'm not sure if that's still in the movie, because I haven't seen the final cut. But either way, the point is that we wanted to make it clear that the problem is Nessa's obsession with Boq, not the fact that she's in a wheelchair, which is what leads to the events that unfold." 

In a previous interview with People, Bode told the outlet that the script has been altered to better reflect “the magic in general and the magic of the story," rather than focusing on Nessa's disability. She also told Variety that she is "very happy with the changes that have been made" to the character.

Wicked: For Good, the conclusion of the film adaptation, picks up after the 2024 blockbuster. Elphaba, now demonized as The Wicked Witch of the West, lives in exile, hidden within the Ozian forest while continuing her fight for the freedom of Oz’s silenced Animals and desperately trying to expose the truth she knows about The Wizard. 

Meanwhile, Glinda has become the glamorous symbol of Goodness for all of Oz, living at the palace in Emerald City and reveling in the perks of fame and popularity. Under the instruction of Madame Morrible, she is deployed to serve as an effervescent comfort to Oz, reassuring the masses that all is well under the rule of The Wizard. 

As Glinda’s stardom expands and she prepares to marry Prince Fiyero in a spectacular Ozian wedding, she is haunted by her separation from Elphaba. She attempts to broker a conciliation between Elphaba and The Wizard, but those efforts will fail, driving Elphaba and Glinda only further apart. The aftershocks will transform Boq and Fiyero forever, and threaten the safety of Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose, when a girl from Kansas comes crashing into all their lives.

As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, Glinda and Elphaba will need to come together one final time. With their singular friendship now the fulcrum of their futures, they will need to truly see each other, with honesty and empathy, if they are to change themselves, and all of Oz, for good.

Wicked: For Good will hit theaters on November 21, 2025, and stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Glinda, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Jeff Goldblum as The Wizard, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Ethan Slater as Boq, and Marissa Bode as Nessarose. The first part, released in 2024, is now available to stream on Peacock.