Fan art is a vibrant way for fans to celebrate their favorite characters and the performers who bring them to life. Recently, Cynthia Erivo, who stars as Elphaba in the upcoming Wicked film, sparked controversy after expressing offense at a piece of fan art depicting her character.
The movie poster reimagines the iconic Broadway Wicked design, where Glinda whispers to a coyly smiling Elphaba with red lipstick and a hidden gaze. In the film version, Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba is front and center, her full face visible with bold green lipstick, while Ariana Grande’s Glinda has her hand lower, concealing just her mouth. The fan art reimagined the poster with original design.
Erivo reacted with: “This is the wildest, most offensive thing I have seen, equal to that awful AI of us fighting, equal to people posing the question, 'is your ***** green.'"
"None of this is funny. None of this is cute. It degrades me. It degrades us. The original poster is an ILLUSTRATION. I am a real life human being, who chose to look right down the barrel of the camera to you, the viewer ...because, without words we communicate with our eyes," she went on.
"Our poster is an homage not an imitation, to edit my face and hide my eyes is to erase me. And that is deeply hurtful," Cynthia claimed, before reposting the original movie poster and writing: “Let me put this right here, to remind you and cleanse your palette."
This isn’t the first time fan art has sparked controversy, but it also raises a broader question: should actors expect their characters to remain untouched by fans' reinterpretations? Comparisons can be drawn to how other actors have handled fan art, such as Hayden Christensen’s portrayal of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars.
Fans frequently create art of Darth Vader that draws from Christensen’s image but focuses primarily on the character. Christensen, however, has consistently embraced fan art, recognizing the passion behind it and the unique space his character occupies in pop culture.
Similarly, Marvel actors like Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) and Chris Evans (Captain America) have been depicted in countless fan art pieces. Many of these works amplify or reimagine their superhero personas, often with dramatic reinterpretations of their appearances. These actors, instead of taking offense, tend to celebrate fan creativity, fostering goodwill and deepening their connection to their audience.
While Erivo’s concerns about cultural erasure and representation are important, fan art often reflects admiration for the character rather than an intent to disrespect the actor. Rejecting such expressions can feel alienating to fans, who are often the backbone of a character's cultural impact. Actors like Christensen and Marvel stars demonstrate that embracing fan art—even with its imperfections—can strengthen the bond between performers and their audiences.
At its core, fan art is a testament to the influence of a performance. By recognizing this as a collaborative celebration of creativity, actors and fans can bridge the gap between individual interpretation and collective appreciation.
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Source: Dan Lalonde
Photo Credit: Universal Pictures
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