We’re winding down to the final months of the 2024 movie schedule, and the first half of Wicked’s cinematic adaptation is poised to be, as Glinda herself might say, popular. The press cycle for Jon M. Chu’s film has been ramping up as people are starting to see the finished product, and fan anticipation continues to mount. All the while, the recent story of Cynthia Erivo’s passionate fan poster reaction is a story of particular importance, and recent developments have seen the actor rethinking her supposed clap back, with only one regret in mind.
The Elphaba actress spoke to ET during the press line at the 2024 CFDA Awards and was asked about her previously expressed disdain over the poster. The viral fan creation altered a recent theatrical poster to resemble the original Playbill art. Reflecting on her stance of offense, Cynthia Erivo recontextualized the moment, with this specific caveat in mind:
It wasn’t necessarily a clapback. … I think I’m really protective of the role. I am passionate about it, and I know the fans are passionate about it. And I think, for me, it was just like a human moment of wanting to protect little Elphaba. … I probably should have called my friends, but it’s fine.
“Human” is the key term in unpacking this Wicked story, as we’ve all had moments where something has upset us so much that we felt it was important to share with social media. Framing what some would call a clap back with the sorts of obscene comments she’d seen throughout the Internet, Cynthia Erivo’s reaction to the poster is still somewhat identifiable. However, so is her revised thoughts on the matter, complete with the regret that she didn’t talk to those closest to her before reacting.
At the same time, it’s not like the Widows alum was the only person to address the subject, as co-star Ariana Grande’s thoughts on the Wicked fan poster walked a fine line to further the matter. While the singing sensation supported her fellow actor in her own response, she did admit that fan edits such as these are a natural part of the hype machine and changing landscape involving A.I.
Without question, Cynthia Erivo is passionate about her role as Elphaba, and that fire doesn’t always swing to the negative. In the past, the Bad Times at the El Royale star has highlighted why musical “haters” should go easier on the genre, as well as the Wicked song that’ll most surprise die hard fans. In both cases, the love that Erivo has for this project, and musicals in general, is abundantly clear.
So, while anyone can see why the Oscar nominee would be so upset over a poster edit, it’s also readily apparent that this isn’t merely an ego trip for the sake of vanity. It's also fair to say that her decision to walk back her previous stance on this fan creation comes at a crucial time for this Wizard of Oz-adjacent franchise.
Wicked’s release date is fast approaching, as the November 22nd debut is just a few weeks away. And, with the second half’s release date taking place a day shy of year later in 2025, there’s still plenty of room for everyone to react to alterations, promotions and anything else that happens in relation to this cinematic event.
