Yes, Marvel Has Its Very Own Wicked Musical That Puts Wiccan Center Stage

As popular as the musical Wicked is in reality, theMarvel Universe has its own version of the show focusing on the young hero Wiccan, son of the Scarlet Witch, as its star character. Musical fans everywhere are gripped by the feature-length film adaptation of Wicked, but on Earth-616, it’s all about Billy Kaplan’s spin on the classic tale.

This bombshell twist on reality was delivered in a blink-and-you-miss-it Easter Egg, in Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #15 by Ryan North and Erica Henderson. The issue sees Doreen (the titular rodenty heroine) and her associates to New York City, to secure upgrades for Squirrel Girl’s heroic crew. When the plan goes awry and leads to a hijacking of microchip-controlled animals, the wild residents of the Central Park Zoo are unleashed to storm down Broadway. As the animals run amok, posters for various shows are seen in the background, parodying or spoofing several real-world plays. Laughs are earned by Fantomex of the Opera and Les Mize, but the standout among them is a Wicked-inspired poster dubbed Wiccan, recreating the iconic poster for the show substituting Wiccan smirking as his boyfriend Hulkling whispers into his ear.

‘WICCAN’ is Marvel’s Own Version of The Wicked Broadway Musical

Fate Brought Wicked and Wiccan Together at the Perfect Time

The original Wicked debuted on Broadway in 2003, and was a loose adaptation of the Gregory Maguire novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The play serves as a prequel to the classic story The Wizard of Oz, but told from the perspective of Elphaba (the so-called ‘wicked witch’) during her younger years. As the poster highlights, the story reveals the surprising friendship with Glinda the good witch, before the unfair demonization by society alters Elphaba’s path. Wicked was a smash success and, after over two decades, is finally being adapted into a two-part feature film franchise.

It’s fortuitous that Marvel has its own Wicked-inspired show about Wiccan, particularly after Billy has skyrocketed in popularity since his starring role in Marvel’s Agatha All Along. If Wiccan is anything like Wicked, it presumably focuses on Billy and Tommy’s relationship (especially since many critics view Wicked as a queer-coded show). One also has to wonder if the entire Broadway scene is entirely influenced by Marvel heroes (perhaps the biggest show is The Panther King?). Wiccan might be a one-off gag, but it’s hard not to wonder if Marvel might take note for a real-world Wiccan in the future.

What Else is Playing on Marvel’s Broadway?

Real-Life History Would Be Fun to Explore

It’s impossible to bring up Marvel Comics and Broadway musicals without first thinking of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark. Or, more accurately, the many real-life problems that faced the Spider-Man Broadway show. With this suggestion that Broadway exists within the Marvel Universe, could the comics (or films) show howq that disaster played out in a world where the actual Spider-Man watched it happen in real time?

Broadway is full of blockbuster hits that earn film adaptations of their own, so there’s no question these tales could blend seamlessly with the Marvel Universe’s heroes. Wiccan’s take on Wicked had the good fortune of both properties being culturally relevant at the same time, so it’s up to Marvel Comics to decide if this Easter Egg deserves a closer look.