Marissa Bode had no problem with the plot changes made for her character, Nessarose Thropp, in “Wicked: For Good” — in fact, she was delighted with them.
In a new interview with Go Mag, the actress and disability advocate — who stars alongside Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the “Wicked” musical films for Universal Pictures — addressed a viral moment from the trailer, which saw her character fly through the air after donning a pair of enchanted slippers.
Even though it was just a glimpse of the pivotal moment, it confirmed that a character development once problematic in the stage production had been changed for its film adaptation — and Bode made it clear she couldn’t be happier.
“I’m so happy with the change, the old narrative was outdated,” Bode told the outlet. “And I’ll be honest, it was really fun flying through the air on set.”
Along the way, Bode argued that the change to allow Nessarose to gain the ability to fly instead of walk, as she does in the Broadway show, better fit the themes covered in “Wicked.”
“Overall, this change makes perfect sense to me, given that ‘everyone deserves a chance to fly,'” she added, quoting one of Elphaba’s famous lines from the musical.
The change to Nessarose’s story came from “Wicked” writer Winnie Holzman, who Bode said informed her of the change after taking into account feedback from the disability community.
Fans should expect additional changes in “Wicked: For Good,” as the follow-up film will feature new original tracks, including “Girl in the Bubble,” sung by Grande, and “No Place Like Home,” sung by Erivo.
The film, directed by Jon M. Chu, also stars Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum.
“Wicked: For Good” is scheduled to hit theaters on November 21, 2025.
