What Happened To Elphaba's Nanny Bear In Wicked

Wicked was one of the biggest films of 2024, adapting the hugely popular 2003 Broadway musical, in turn based on the 1995 book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The film was a huge hit commercially and critically, even while released alongside some other massive films that saw similar success. One of the biggest reasons for Wicked‘s great reviews was its characters, as the film boasts a large cast made up of plenty of interesting individuals, even those who don’t get very much screen time.




One of these characters is Elphaba’s (Cynthia Erivo) childhood nanny, a bear who is known colloquially as Nanny Bear, and alternatively Dulcibear (Sharon D. Clarke). She is a very minor character when compared to the rest of Wicked‘s cast, showing up in the beginning flashback scene that explains Elphaba’s birth and childhood, and then disappearing for the rest of the movie. However, Dulcibear still manages to leave an impression in her brief appearance, leading to many questions about what happens to her during and after the end of Wicked.


Nanny Bear Isn’t Seen Beyond Elphaba’s Childhood In Wicked – But She’s Still Alive

Dulcibear Still Exists In The Background


Dulcibear only appears during the initial flashback scene in Wicked, when Elphaba’s mother (Courtney Mae-Briggs) gives birth to her, and Dulcibear is shown to be Elphaba’s main source of parenting due to her father’s (Andy Nyman) dislike of her. She isn’t shown or even mentioned for the rest of the film, while the character of Dulcibear isn’t present at all in the book or the stage musical. Elphaba does have a nanny who is a consistent presence throughout the novel, who naturally has a similar purpose to the film’s version of her.

Dulci is a Latin word meaning “sweet,” so the character’s name literally means “Sweet Bear.”


In the Wicked book by Gregory Maguire, Elphaba’s nanny’s main role is as caretaker for Nessarose (played by Marissa Bode in the movie), but she is moved to Shiz University to oversee Elphaba, as well as Galinda (Ariana Grande-Butera) while the latter’s chaperone is indisposed. Nanny does the same for Nessarose when Elphaba leaves the school, but eventually, she settles down after Nessarose goes off on her own. Nanny isn’t a huge character in the book, as she still only has a supporting role, but she is a bigger player than in the film or the Broadway musical.

How Nanny Bear Connects To Wicked’s Animal Storyline

Dulcibear Was Responsible For Elphaba’s Upbringing

While Dulcibear doesn’t have much screen time in the film, she plays a very important role when it comes to Elphaba’s character and personality. As her mother died when she was very young, and her father had always hated her, Dulcibear is shown to be the one who was there for Elphaba, taking care of her throughout her childhood. This is likely one of the major reasons for Elphaba’s empathy for the animals of Oz, as the person who was nicest to her during her childhood was an animal.


Seeing how caring Dulcibear was for Elphaba, who was also mistreated and hated due to the circumstances of her birth, is a good way of showing where that aspect of Elphaba’s personality came from.

One of the main conflicts in Wicked surrounds the mistreatment and hatred of animals, and Elphaba is one of the only characters who tries to take a stand against it when the rest of the world is either content to let it happen or is pushing that agenda themselves. Even though it is never explicitly stated in the movie, seeing how caring Dulcibear was for Elphaba, who was also mistreated and hated due to the circumstances of her birth, is a good way of showing where that aspect of Elphaba’s personality came from.

Will Nanny Bear Be In Wicked 2?

The Sequel Could Choose To Expand Dulcibear’s Character

Elphaba's witch hat in Wicked
Image via Universal Pictures


As Wicked 2 will continue where Wicked left off, there is every opportunity for Dulcibear to show up again in the film’s sequel, expanding her role as Elphaba’s friend to further develop the film’s animal storyline. She isn’t in the musical, which the film is based on much more than the original book, but both films are going to nearly double the length of the musical, so there is more room to add new scenes featuring her in the next movie.

Fiyero and Elphaba from Wicked in front of Oz

Related

Waiting An Entire Year For Wicked 2 Is Going To Be Excruciating Now

The movie adaptation of Wicked, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, exceeded expectations, making the wait for Wicked: Part 2 feel impossible.


That being said, the next film is probably going to focus on following the plot of the musical as closely as the first part did, so this may not be very likely. Dulcibear would be a way to explain Elphaba’s motivations in more detail, but the first film already sets up how thoughtful and caring she is, meaning taking more time to detail her determination wouldn’t be particularly necessary. Dulcibear could still show up in Wicked‘s sequel, but with the musical’s story and how Elphaba’s character was developed, there may not be a great reason for her to reappear.