Cynthia Erivo Slammed For Calling Fan-Made "Wicked" Edits "Hurtful"

The much-anticipated poster for Wicked ( starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba) has split the internet. Fans were less than thrilled with the design, mainly because it deviated from the iconic Broadway poster, in which Glinda is seen whispering into Elphaba’s ear. Both characters are partially hidden under their hats in the original. The movie's poster, however, shows Cynthia’s full face and Ariana’s side profile. While the poster is okay (in my opinion), fans had their hearts set on something that paid closer homage to the original. The original also had Elphaba rocking a dark red lip, something missing from the remake. Fans took matters into their own hands and remade the poster to cover Cynthia’s eyes and give her a red lip. Some even took it further with AI to make memes, with one video going viral of Ariana’s Glinda whispering and asking if a certain body part was green. Cynthia became aware of the edits and memes, prompting her to address them, stating, “Our poster is an homage, not an imitation. To edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me, and that is just deeply hurtful.” The actress added, “This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen. Equal to that awful AI of us fighting, equal to people posting the question ‘is your ***** green.’ None of this is funny. None of it is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us.” While Erivo made it clear she wasn’t here for any of the edits or AI antics, fans on social media felt her reaction was a bit...much. “It’s not that deep,” many people on X commented. Viewers also pointed out that the critique was never about Cynthia as a person but about paying homage to the Wicked character. The edits, they argued, were meant to match the Broadway aesthetic, not erase her identity. Some even accused Cynthia of being “too woke” for lashing out at fans instead of directing her frustration at the marketing team. One X user summed up the fan sentiment: “Girl, we’re not erasing YOU. We’re trying to pay homage to the character — you are lucky enough to be one of many women who have portrayed her. It doesn’t erase you to make you look more like the Elphie from the theatrical poster.” In the end, what started as a simple critique of a poster design has turned into a conversation about fan entitlement, artistic integrity, and where the line gets drawn between character and actor. Whether or not Cynthia’s response was justified, it’s clear that fans are sticking to their point: they want a Wicked poster that's true to the original design, and their critique is not an attack on Cynthia as a person. Subscribe today to get unlimited access to all of Evie’s premium content.