Someone edited the 'Wicked' movie poster to look like the musical version. Cynthia Erivo called it 'deeply distressing' CNN

Don't mess with “wicked” witches.

Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba in the upcoming “Wicked” adaptation, slammed various memes and fan-made criticism of the film's poster, which she said “insulted” and “erased” her involvement.

Earlier this month, fans were inspired to edit the latest poster for the film “Wicked,” which features Ariana Grande as Glinda whispering that Erivo is looking ahead, to more closely resemble the musical's original logo. In that instance, Glinda cups her hand to speak into Elphaba's ear while the green witch smiles, her eyes covered by her pointy black hat.

Many fans considered it an improvement on the official film poster, where Erivo's face is fully visible. In an Instagram story on Wednesday, Erivo said it was “the scariest, most offensive thing I've ever seen.”

“Our poster is a tribute, not an imitation, editing my face and hiding my eyes to erase me,” he said. “And that's just deeply damaging.”

In the same story, Erivo called out other “wicked” memes that circulated online, including one that made a crude joke about Elphaba's anatomy and an AI-generated video of the two actresses fighting.

“None of this is funny. None of this is pretty,” Erivo wrote. “It degrades me. It degrades us.”

Erivo, Grande and “Wicked” film director John M. Chu all re-shared the official poster on their Instagram stories on Wednesday. In her story, Chu writes that Erivo is “(her) superhero.”

The run-up to the long-awaited premiere of “Wicked” has had a wide range of jokes, memes and reactions from fans. Some have questioned why the film's trailers seem to obscure the fact that it is a musical and a one-off. one of a planned duology — the first film will consist of the first act of music, culminating in the voice-shredding anthem “Defying Gravity.”

The first part of “Wicked” hits theaters on November 22. The second film is expected in November 2025.