The Wicked movie is in theaters and crushing at the box office, following a long press tour. The Wicked cast has been promoting the film for months, and have gone viral a few times as a result. In particular, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who are consistently crying during interviews. We've reached the era where Mark Ruffalo is trolling the "holding space" for "Defying Gravity" meme, and I am here for it.
Wicked's songs are a big draw of the film, especially well-known tracks like "Popular" and "Defying Gravity". The latter went viral recently when a journalist spoke to Erivo about LGBTQ+ fans "holding space" for those lyrics and finding strength in their power. That clip has been memed countless times in the last week, and now Mark Ruffalo is getting in on the fun over on his personal Instagram.
Honestly, this is pretty funny. Ruffalo has been shown to troll his MCU buddies for years, and now he's getting in on the viral Wicked trend. We'll just have to see if Grande or Erivo end up responding.
In order to put his own spin on the "holding space" meme, Mark Ruffalo shared some footage of his character from Poor Things (which is streaming with a Hulu subscription). Although I have to say, I think he missed an opportunity by not making the meme about Hulk. After all, he and Elphaba are some of media's most popular green characters.
Ruffalo is known for having a delightful presence on social media... and for being one of the worst spoiler offenders in the MCU history. So perhaps it should be no surprise that he got in on the Wicked meme that's been going around social meia non-stop.
As a reminder, you can see the viral clip from Wicked's promotional tour below. Check it out:
pic.twitter.com/NL8VlANzKaNovember 21, 2024
This exchange quickly went viral for a few reasons. For one, the comments about "holding space" confused some. Then there's Cynthia Erivo's emotional reaction. Although perhaps the most meme-d part of this interview is the way Ariana Grande held onto Erivo's fingers during the exchange.
Grande and Erivo have been getting some flak online for being so emotional while discussing their relationship and work together on the two Wicked films. But since the second movie is going to arrive in November of 2025, the pair of acclaimed singers are seemingly going to do it all over again and go back on the road next fall. And since the second half of Wicked's story is far more tragic and emotional, I have to assume that way more tears are going to happen.
The first Wicked movie is in theaters now, and the second will follow suit on November 21st, 2025. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates to plan your trips to the theater in the New Year.
