Who is the Tin Man in Wicked? Here's how the musical reveals his true identity
29 November 2024, 12:31
Wicked Part 2 explains exactly how the Tin Man fits into the story of Elphaba and Glinda.
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You know Wicked is linked to The Wizard of Oz but did you know that the musical reveals who the Tin Man actually is?
Wicked famously acts as an origin story for The Wicked Witch of the West, with the second half of the musical catching up with the timeline of The Wizard of Oz. As it stands, we've only briefly seen Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion in Wicked Part 1 but director Jon M. Chu has teased that they will all return in Part 2.
If you've seen the musical, you will already know that The Wizard of Oz foursome play a major role in Wicked Part 2. For anyone who doesn't know what happens next and can't wait until the sequel comes out, we're here to let you know the true identity of the Tin Man and how he fits into the dramatic story of Elphaba and Glinda.
WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for the Wicked musical and Wicked Part 2's storyline. Stop reading now if you don't what to know what happens next!
- Read more: Wicked's Jonathan Bailey and Jeff Goldblum reveal Part 2 will include new original songs
- Read more: Wicked's Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande say Elphaba and Glinda are queer
Who is the Tin Man in Wicked?
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande sang live on Wicked
WARNING: Major spoilers ahead for the plot of Wicked Part 2 and Wicked the stage musical.
How does Boq become the Tin Man?
Yes. Boq is the Tin Man in Wicked. Like the second act of the musical, Wicked: Part 2 will start with a time jump where Elphaba is now known as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda is known as Glinda the Good Witch. Not only that but Nessarose stays with Boq and becomes the governor of Munchkinland in the wake of her father's death.
However, Nessarose isn't the same Nessarose we meet in the first movie. Worried that Boq doesn't truly love her and will leave her, she strips the Munchkins of rights in a bid to keep him in her life. However, this backfires to the point where she gains a reputation as a Wicked Witch in her own right with the Munchkins turning on her.
When Elphaba secretly visits Nessarose, Nessarose calls her out for never using her magic to help her. In response, Elphaba enchants Nessarose's shoes giving her the power to walk. Nessarose thinks this will make Boq want to be with her but he thinks it proves she doesn't need him and reveals he wants to confess his love to Glinda.
As a result, Nessarose takes the Grimmerie from Elphaba and attempts to cast a spell that will make Boq fall in love with her. However, it goes wrong and she accidentally shrinks Boq's heart. To save Boq's life, Elphaba uses magic. She turns him into the Tin Man. Boq then flees in shame and Nessarose blames Elphaba.
- Read more: Who is the Scarecrow in Wicked? Here's how the musical reveals his true identity
- Read more: Is Dorothy in Wicked? Director reveals how she will be included in Part 2
So it's Elphaba who turned Boq into the Tin Man. This lead Boq to hate both Elphaba and Nessarose, despite the fact that Elphaba saved Boq's life. Like in the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's house kills Nessarose and Boq, as the Tin Man, begins leading the charge to kill Elphaba.
To find out exactly what happens in Wicked Part 2, read our full plot summary of the musical.
Read more about Wicked here:
- Wicked director explains why they changed 'Defying Gravity' in the movie
- Wicked fans are obsessed with Ariana Grande's huge lyric change in 'Popular'
- Who is playing Dorothy in Wicked Part 2? The Alisha Weir rumours explained
- What happens in Wicked Part 2? A plot summary of how the musical ends
- When will Wicked be on streaming? How to watch Wicked movie online
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