Cynthia Erivo has expressed her discontent with fan art that diminishes her character in the upcoming movie adaptation of “Wicked.” On her Instagram Story, Erivo shared her frustration over an edited promotional poster where her face is obscured by her character’s witch hat while Ariana Grande’s character, Glinda, leans in close.
In the official poster, Erivo is depicted looking directly at the camera, but the fan edit has drawn parallels to the artwork used in the Broadway musical. Erivo stated, “This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen equal to that awful AI of us fighting. None of this is funny. None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us.”
She referred to an AI-generated video that depicts her and Grande’s characters as though they are in a physical fight, as well as a meme making jokes about Elphaba’s anatomy. Erivo emphasized the importance of the original poster, stating, “I am a real life human being, who chose to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer… to edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me. And that is just deeply hurtful.”
Following her original post, Erivo shared the actual film poster to clarify her point. Director Jon M. Chu supported her on his own Instagram, sharing her message along with the correct image and praising her as his “superhero.”
During a CinemaCon presentation in April, Erivo spoke about the significance of her role as Elphaba, noting how pivotal the characters are for her and Grande. Erivo said, “I hope people see themselves in the movie and realize that not fitting in is fantastic. For me, that’s the main aim of this. I loved playing Elphaba. I felt very protective of her.”
Erivo also mentioned that her Oscar-winning co-star Michelle Yeoh encouraged her to consider a future in directing, stating, “I might have to start considering it seriously” if Yeoh believes in her potential.
The film adaptation of “Wicked,” which focuses on the origins of Elphaba and Glinda, is set to debut in theaters on November 22. A sequel is planned for November 26, 2025.