Cynthia Erivo criticizes humorous portrayals of her concealed visage within "Wicked"-related content.
Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba in the forthcoming "Wicked" adaptation, has spoken out against the numerous memes and fan-made adaptations of the movie poster, claiming they "diminish" and "erase" her involvement.
Recently, enthusiasts took it upon themselves to modify the most recent "Wicked" film poster, which features Ariana Grande as Glinda whispering, with Erivo looking onward. Fans saw this revised illustration as an enhancement of the musical's original logo, with Glinda placing her hand to her ear to speak into Elphaba's ear, and the green witch grinning, her eyes concealed by her pointy black hat.
Many supporters considered this altered version superior to the official film poster, which showcases Erivo's entire face clearly. In an Instagram story released on Wednesday, Erivo described it as the "most outlandish, most disrespectful" thing she's ever come across.
"Our poster is a tribute, not a duplicate. Editing my face and concealing my eyes is to erase me," she said. "And that is simply heartbreaking."
In the same Instagram story, Erivo also criticized other "Wicked" memes circulating online, including one with a vulgar joke about Elphaba's body and an AI-generated video of the two actresses fighting.
"None of this is amusing. None of it is cute," Erivo wrote. "It belittles me. It belittles us."
On Wednesday, Erivo, Grande, and "Wicked" film director Jon M. Chu all re-shared the official poster on their Instagram accounts. In his story, Chu proclaimed Erivo to be his "superhero."
The build-up to the much-anticipated debut of "Wicked" has been marked by jokes, memes, and a diverse range of responses from fans. Some have expressed concern over why the film trailers seem to downplay the fact that it's both a musical and only the first portion of a planned duology — the initial film will encompass the musical's first act, culminating in the powerful anthem "Defying Gravity."
The initial part of "Wicked" is scheduled for theaters on November 22. The second film is projected to arrive in November 2025.
Despite the enthusiasm for modifying the "Wicked" film poster, leading to a version seen as superior to the official one, Cynthia Erivo felt it was a form of disrespect and erasure of her involvement, considering it a tribute, not a duplicate. Furthermore, Erivo also condemned other "Wicked" memes circulating online, finding them belittling and not amusing.
