2025 was a big year for film, marked by high-profile blockbusters and critical darlings. From the record-breaking animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2 and Paul Thomas Anderson’ Oscar-winning comedy action-thriller One Battle After Another, there was no shortage of great movies to see, and many are now becoming easy to watch at home. Just months after moviegoers packed theaters, one of the biggest movies of 2025 just made its streaming debut exclusively on Peacock.
Wicked: For Good defied gravity with a $533 million worldwide gross, becoming the second-highest-grossing Oz film and musical film adaptation of all time after the 2024 film and the 12th-highest-grossing movie of the year. Now, four months after its theatrical release, the movie is finally available to stream on Peacock as of March 20th alongside its sing-along version and a version with commentary from director Jon M. Chu. The Wicked sequel adapts the second act of the 2003 stage musical and brings back Ariana Grande as Glinda, now navigating her role as a symbol of good in the Emerald City, and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, now exiled and continuing to fight against the corrupt Wizard.
Wicked: For Good Is a Cinematic Powerhouse
Following the fun, spectacle-heavy Wicked, For Good proved to be a more dramatic second half that delivered higher emotional stakes and deeper character development. The movie perfectly builds off of the original film, delving into the darker repercussions of the story with a focus on the complex, evolving friendship between Elphaba and Glinda, ultimately leading to their final showdown. Grande and Erivo once again delivered strong performances and powerful vocals as the Good Witch of the North and the Wicked Witch of the West, and there’s no shortage of back-to-back earworm musical numbers.
The movie received mixed reviews from critics, earning a 66% critic score compared to Wicked’s “Certified Fresh” 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. ComicBook’s Nicole Drum gave the film a 3 out of 5, writing that while “the second half lacks the magic of the first,” Wicked: For Good is “visually stunning, the performances are gorgeous, the music is great, and Grande has never been as good as she is in this role or this film.” In terms of audience reception, things were overwhelmingly positive. The movie’s “Verified Hot” 92% Popcornmeter rating even surpassed its predecessor’s 88% score. As the epic conclusion to the two-part film adaptation of the Broadway musical, it’s pretty satisfying and a great watch for fans of the musical and the first film.
What’s New on Peacock?
Wicked: For Good is one of the final major additions to Peacock’s streaming library this March, with only The Wild Robot set to arrive on March 24th and a handful of other films on March 31st. Earlier in the month, the NBCUniversal streamer stocked dozens of other great movies, including 8 Mile, The Big Lebowski, Dallas Buyers Club, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, John Wick: Chapter 4, Schindler’s List, and Sonic the Hedgehog.
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