Someone modified the movie poster for Wicked to resemble the musical's version more closely, prompting Cynthia Erivo to describe the edit as "deeply hurtful."

Don’t Cross the "Wicked" Witch

Cynthia Erivo, who portrays Elphaba in the upcoming film adaptation of “Wicked,” has spoken out against various memes and fan-made interpretations of the film’s poster, stating they “degrade” and “erase” her contribution to the project.

Recently, fans edited the latest poster featuring Ariana Grande as Glinda whispering to Erivo, aiming to make it resemble the original musical logo. In that illustration, Glinda cups her hand to Elphaba’s ear while the green witch smirks, her eyes obscured by her signature pointy black hat.

Many fans considered this edit an improvement over the official poster, which shows Erivo’s face in full view. In an Instagram story on Wednesday, Erivo described the edits as the “wildest, most offensive thing I have seen.”

“Our poster is an homage, not an imitation. To edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me,” she expressed. “And that is just deeply hurtful.”

Erivo clarified that the new “Wicked” poster pays tribute to the original logo rather than simply replicating it.

She also addressed other “Wicked” memes circulating online, including one that made an inappropriate joke about Elphaba’s anatomy and an AI-generated video depicting the two actresses in a fictional fight.

“None of this is funny. None of this is cute,” Erivo stated. “It degrades me. It degrades us.”

Erivo, Grande, and director Jon M. Chu all shared the official poster on their Instagram stories on Wednesday, with Chu referring to Erivo as his “superhero.”

As anticipation builds for the premiere of “Wicked,” the online discourse has been filled with jokes, memes, and diverse fan reactions. Some have questioned why the film trailers seem to downplay the fact that it’s a musical and only part one of a planned duology, with the first film covering the musical's first act and concluding with the powerful anthem “Defying Gravity.”

Part one of “Wicked” is set to hit theaters on November 22, with the sequel expected to follow in November 2025.